Ogre Arsonist MTG Card

Ogre Arsonist grants card advantage by removing key lands, potentially disrupting opponent strategies. Demands careful play due to its discard requirement, limiting late-game effectiveness. Holding a niche for targeting nonbasic lands, it’s a situational yet potent addition to any deck.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Ogre
Power 3
Toughness 3

Text of card

When Ogre Arsonist comes into play from your hand, destroy any one land. (If you're the only one with lands, destroy one of them.)

Cards like Ogre Arsonist

Ogre Arsonist presents a unique offering in the realm of creature-based board control within Magic: The Gathering. It aligns closely with other creatures like Embermage Goblin, which also allows you to compromise opponents’ lands. What sets Ogre Arsonist apart is its direct land destruction upon dying, targeting only nonbasic lands. This specificity differentiates it from Embermage Goblin that requires mana investment to activate its ability.

Additionally, Ogre Arsonist shares similarities with cards such as the classic Stone Rain and the creature, Avalanche Riders. Each leads to land removal; Stone Rain as an unconditional land destruction spell, and Avalanche Riders with the added benefit of haste. While Stone Rain is purely a sorcery, both creature cards provide added board presence. Ogre Arsonist is particularly valuable with its ability to disrupt multicolored decks reliant on nonbasic lands.

When evaluating destruction effectiveness and utility among similar cards, Ogre Arsonist occupies a strategic niche. It excels in decks designed to suppress complex mana bases, thereby placing constraints on an opponent’s strategy. Its passive yet guaranteed land decimation sets a stage where deck construction can cleverly leverage battlefield demise for strategic advantage in Magic: The Gathering.

Embermage Goblin - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Avalanche Riders - MTG Card versions
Embermage Goblin - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Avalanche Riders - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Ogre Arsonist, you can potentially eliminate a powerful land from your opponent’s board. This disruption can translate to card advantage as the opponent loses access to resources.

Resource Acceleration: As a proactive play, Ogre Arsonist can be instrumental in resource acceleration by setting your opponent back and tilting the resource balance in your favor, potentially slowing down their strategy.

Instant Speed: Although Ogre Arsonist operates at sorcery speed, its effect is akin to instant speed land destruction spells, as it can be used to immediately target and remove a key land right before your opponent would benefit from it, effectively functioning just as disrupting as an instant while shaping the pace of the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Ogre Arsonist is that it obligates the player to discard a card to utilize its ability. This can be problematic during the late game when hand size is dwindling, potentially forcing a player to part with a crucial card.

Specific Mana Cost: Ogre Arsonist demands a rigid mana cost that includes red mana. This specificity can sometimes hinder its inclusion in multi-colored decks or those with a tight mana base, limiting its versatility across various deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost to get into play, Ogre Arsonist can be seen as a costly investment compared to other cards with similar effects. This can be especially true in formats where tempo plays a crucial role, and cheaper alternatives may advance your game state earlier or more efficiently.

Reasons to Include Ogre Arsonist in Your Collection

Versatility: Ogre Arsonist offers flexibility in deck building. Its straightforward land destruction ability can be a strategic inclusion in decks that aim to disrupt mana bases, giving you an edge in longer games.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with decks that take advantage of sacrificing creatures or red spell-based strategies, offering significant tactical advantages when timed correctly.

Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely heavily on nonbasic lands, Ogre Arsonist gains increased importance, potentially crippling an opponent’s strategic setup and altering the pace of the game in your favor.

How to beat

Ogre Arsonist poses a unique challenge on the battlefield given its ability to destroy a land upon dying. Like a ticking time bomb, it can disrupt your mana base and significantly alter the pace of your game. To counter this fiery adversary, savvy players might incorporate removal spells that exile, rather than destroy. Cards like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can safely remove Ogre Arsonist without triggering its land-destroying ability.

Another strategy is to manipulate the flow of combat to your advantage. Opt for creatures that can overpower the Ogre without falling themselves, thereby avoiding its destructive death trigger. It’s also worth considering effects that nullify abilities. Silent Gravestone or Hushbringer can prevent the Arsonist from causing any land destruction mischief when it perishes.

In essence, while Ogre Arsonist can set your lands ablaze if not dealt with carefully, various strategies exist to handle this card effectively. Whether through exile, combat control, or ability suppression, players can ensure their mana resources remain intact, sustaining their strategic edge throughout the match.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ogre Arsonist MTG card by a specific set like Portal Second Age and IDW Comics Inserts, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ogre Arsonist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ogre Arsonist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-06-24 and 2012-01-01. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-06-24Portal Second AgeP02 1101997NormalBlackJeffrey R. Busch
22012-01-01IDW Comics InsertsPIDW 112003NormalBlackChris Rahn

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ogre Arsonist has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal