Erratic Explosion MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Erratic Explosion offers direct damage and a peek into your deck’s future, aligning draws with your strategy.
  2. Deck-building around Erratic Explosion can speed up resource access, but requires thoughtful construction.
  3. The card’s high-reward nature fits into strategies seeking to capitalize on chance and top-deck synergy.

Text of card

Choose target creature or player. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland card. Erratic Explosion deals damage equal to that card's converted mana cost to that creature or player. Put the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in any order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Erratic Explosion lets you peek into your library’s future, potentially revealing a high-cost card to deal significant damage. This not only weeds out a card from your deck but can also edge you towards a more favorable draw on your next turn.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially removing a high-mana-cost card from your deck, Erratic Explosion accelerates your resources since the card revealed can indirectly dictate the pace of your game, getting you closer to your strategic picks.

Instant Speed: Although Erratic Explosion is not an instant, its unpredictable nature functions similarly by disrupting the battlefield when least expected, akin to instant speed spells that keep opponents on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of Erratic Explosion, no discard is required, but the card demands that you have a deck built around high-cost cards for optimization, which narrows your strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes both generic and red mana, potentially complicating its integration into multi-color decks that are tight on mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring three mana, Erratic Explosion’s value depends heavily on the top card of your library, which can be too random and less reliable compared to other direct damage spells in the format.


Reasons to Include Erratic Explosion in Your Collection

Versatility: Erratic Explosion is not just a direct damage spell; it presents a unique way to play top-deck manipulation strategies. This card fits well in decks that strategically stack the deck for a powerful reveal.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Erratic Explosion can be the linchpin in a high-damage combo. It’s all about the cards you pair it with—increased spell damage amplifiers or ways to peek at your top card can turn this into a game-ending play.

Meta-Relevance: This card may shine in metas where unpredictable and high-impact plays can upset the balance. In environments where players aren’t prepared for instant-speed damage outside the combat phase, Erratic Explosion can be a surprising way to disrupt the opponent’s game plan.


How to beat

Erratic Explosion is a unique card that brings an element of chance to Magic: The Gathering battles. The card deals damage to any target equal to the converted mana cost of the top card of your library, but predicting the outcome can be quite a gamble. To counteract this, aim to minimize the potential damage Erratic Explosion can inflict. Consider deck strategies that run low converted mana cost cards, which reduce the impact of the explosion. Cards that control or manipulate the top deck order such as Brainstorm or mill effects can also be essential, ensuring that Erratic Explosion is less of a threat.

Another tactic involves protecting your life total and valuable creatures with cards that can prevent damage or provide indestructibility for the turn. The use of instant-speed removal or counterspells when Erratic Explosion is on the stack ensures that this unpredictable spell never resolves, taking the chance element out of the equation entirely. By understanding and anticipating the potential risks associated with Erratic Explosion, players can prepare their deck appropriately and maintain control over the game, ultimately securing victory against this high-risk card.


Cards like Erratic Explosion

Erratic Explosion is a unique offering in the pantheon of red spells within Magic: The Gathering. This card presents a “luck of the draw” damage mechanic, which compares interestingly with others like Goblin Game or Fiery Gambit. Erratic Explosion could potentially deliver substantial damage depending on the cost of the card revealed from your library, whereas the other two are riskier choices for unpredictable effects. With Goblin Game, the outcome relies heavily on players’ choices rather than deck composition, and Fiery Gambit requires a sequence of successful coin flips to achieve maximum damage.

When considering cards like Blast of Genius, the similarities become apparent, as it also combines card draw with direct damage based on a revealed card’s mana value. Blast of Genius however offers more control since you choose the card to discard, thus dictating the damage dealt. Despite this, Erratic Explosion maintains a lower mana cost which could align better with faster-paced decks. Other similar spells such as Torrent of Fire and Erratic Mutation also play with the randomness of damage output but with variations in control and predictability.

Ultimately, Erratic Explosion stands out in MTG for its potential for high-reward at low cost, appealing to players who favor a splash of randomness in their strategy and embrace the adventurous spirit of the game.

Goblin Game - MTG Card versions
Fiery Gambit - MTG Card versions
Blast of Genius - MTG Card versions
Torrent of Fire - MTG Card versions
Erratic Mutation - MTG Card versions
Goblin Game - Planeshift (PLS)
Fiery Gambit - Mirrodin (MRD)
Blast of Genius - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Torrent of Fire - Scourge (SCG)
Erratic Mutation - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Cards similar to Erratic Explosion by color, type and mana cost

Stone Rain - MTG Card versions
Game of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Evaporate - MTG Card versions
Pillage - MTG Card versions
Steam Blast - MTG Card versions
Goblin Offensive - MTG Card versions
Desert Sandstorm - MTG Card versions
Arc Lightning - MTG Card versions
Search for Survivors - MTG Card versions
Searing Rays - MTG Card versions
Rupture - MTG Card versions
Tundra Fumarole - MTG Card versions
Browbeat - MTG Card versions
Threaten - MTG Card versions
Sizzle - MTG Card versions
Hammer of Bogardan - MTG Card versions
Fiery Gambit - MTG Card versions
Flamebreak - MTG Card versions
Panic Attack - MTG Card versions
Thunderblade Charge - MTG Card versions
Stone Rain - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Game of Chaos - Ice Age (ICE)
Evaporate - Homelands (HML)
Pillage - Arena League 2000 (PAL00)
Steam Blast - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Goblin Offensive - Urza's Saga (USG)
Desert Sandstorm - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Arc Lightning - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Search for Survivors - Prophecy (PCY)
Searing Rays - Invasion (INV)
Rupture - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Tundra Fumarole - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Browbeat - Masters 25 (A25)
Threaten - Tenth Edition (10E)
Sizzle - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Hammer of Bogardan - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Fiery Gambit - Mirrodin (MRD)
Flamebreak - Darksteel (DST)
Panic Attack - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Thunderblade Charge - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Erratic Explosion MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and Planechase 2012, 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 Erratic Explosion and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Erratic Explosion Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Gary Ruddell.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-10-07OnslaughtONS 2011997normalblackGary Ruddell
22012-06-01Planechase 2012PC2 412003normalblackGary Ruddell
32016-11-25Planechase AnthologyPCA 412015normalblackGary Ruddell
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 9172015normalblackGary Ruddell
52020-09-26The ListPLST PCA-412015normalblackGary Ruddell

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Erratic Explosion has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 If all your cards are lands, no damage is dealt.

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