Pigment Storm MTG Card

Handles large threats effectively and can damage the opponent if creature damage exceeds its toughness. Fits best in red-focused decks due to its specific mana cost of three red and two generic mana. Offers strategic value in red arsenals, keeping pace with the evolving toughness of meta creatures.

Pigment Storm - Strixhaven: School of Mages

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2021-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Strixhaven: School of Mages
Set code	STX
Number	111
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Bayard Wu

Text of card

Pigment Storm deals 5 damage to target creature. Excess damage is dealt to that creature's controller instead.

When art projects collapse, Prismari students revel in the beauty of destruction. Everyone else runs for cover.

Cards like Pigment Storm

Pigment Storm finds its niche within the assortment of red damage spells in the Magic: The Gathering universe. A spell like Rolling Thunder shares similarities with Pigment Storm, as both can potentially deal massive damage. However, Rolling Thunder scales with the mana invested, thereby allowing precision targeting, contrary to Pigment Storm’s limitation to dealing damage only to a single creature and excess to that creature’s controller.

Another card within the same category is Flame Spill, which also utilises the excess damage concept. While Flame Spill has a lesser mana cost and the potential for trample over damage, Pigment Storm’s higher base damage makes it favorable in situations where creature removal is paramount. Comparatively, Slagstorm offers versatility in that it can either deal damage to each creature or each player, making it a more flexible option in a player’s arsenal, albeit without the excess damage feature that gives Pigment Storm a unique angle.

Overall, as we delve into the characteristics of similar MTG cards, Pigment Storm holds its own in terms of direct creature removal while providing the chance to chip away at the opponent’s life total, a trait that makes it quite a strategic pick in certain deck builds.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pigment Storm provides an impactful way to remove creatures from the board. By potentially dealing 5 damage, it can effectively deal with sizable threats, and if the damage overflows, it tricks through to the opponent, keeping card parity in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Pigment Storm itself doesn’t accelerate resources, eliminating key creatures can set your opponent back, indirectly giving you a resource advantage as you maintain board presence and momentum.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Pigment Storm demands strategic planning. Knowing when to deploy this spell maximizes its potential impact, clearing the way for your attacks or removing newly cast threats at the start of your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When casting Pigment Storm, players don’t have the additional cost of discarding, allowing them to maintain a full grip of cards. This is beneficial, especially when resources are running tight in a close match and every card in hand counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Pigment Storm requires a specific mana investment of three red and two generic mana. This limitation ensures that it fits best in mono-red or red-heavy decks, potentially restricting its integration in multicolored or non-red decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Pigment Storm might be considered a significant investment. Although it deals damage to a creature and excess damage to that creature’s controller, there are alternatives that could accomplish similar goals with a lower mana expenditure, thereby affecting its overall efficiency in fast-paced games.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Pigment Storm is an adaptable card that can be a critical part of any red deck’s arsenal. Its ability to deal 5 damage to any target allows you to remove pesky creatures or even close out a game by directing the damage to your opponent’s life total.

Combo Potential: The overkill damage dealt by Pigment Storm isn’t wasted. It can be harnessed in decks focusing on various damage amplifiers or spells that have beneficial effects when dealing excess damage to creatures or players.

Meta-Relevance: As players continuously build creatures with high toughness or exploit indestructible mechanics, Pigment Storm maintains relevance. Its capacity for dealing substantial damage keeps pace with the evolving toughness of creatures seen in the current meta, cutting through defensive lines with ease.

How to Beat

Pigment Storm is a powerful sorcery that can make a significant impact on the board state in a game of MTG. This card is recognized for its ability to deal with sizable creatures thanks to its 5 damage output, which often leads to the demise of formidable threats. Additionally, Pigment Storm’s excess damage clause enables it to potentially sweep smaller creatures or chip away an opponent’s life total after taking out a targeted creature.

To effectively counter this impactful card, it is essential to deploy creatures with toughness greater than 5, ensuring they can withstand the initial blast. Shielding your key creatures with hexproof or indestructible attributes also renders Pigment Storm far less effective. Suppose you can foresee an incoming Pigment Storm. In that case, instant-speed protection spells or flicker abilities can be crucial to prevent your creature from being targeted, preserving your battlefield presence despite the attempted removal.

Moreover, considering Pigment Storm’s five mana cost, keeping up the pace and maintaining pressure could hinder your opponent’s ability to use it effectively. By committing to a strategy that values tempo and uses the mana curve to your advantage, you can reduce the impact of Pigment Storm and even turn the tides by exploiting the opportunity cost it represents for your opponent.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pigment Storm MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Pigment Storm and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pigment Storm has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pigment Storm card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2021-04-16	Excess damage caused by a spell or ability is similar to how combat damage from a creature with trample is handled. Start with the amount of damage being dealt to the creature and determine what is “lethal.” This is the creature’s toughness minus the amount of damage that it already has marked on it, but ignoring any replacement or prevention effects that will modify this damage. Also ignore whether the creature has an ability such as indestructible that will result in it not being destroyed by this damage.
2021-04-16	If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Pigment Storm tries to resolve, the spell won’t resolve. It won’t deal damage to any player.
2021-04-16	Once you’ve determined how much damage is excess, Pigment Storm simultaneously deals damage to the creature and to its controller. This damage may be modified by replacement or prevention effects.
2021-04-16	Pigment Storm’s replacement effect is a self-replacement effect. It is applied before any other replacement effects that would change the amount of damage dealt to the target creature and its controller.