Fickle Efreet MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Efreet
Released	2000-06-05
Set symbol
Set name	Prophecy
Set code	PCY
Power	5
Toughness	2
Number	89
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Dave Dorman

Key Takeaways

Fickle Efreet can control the board and influence your opponent’s resource investment through its combat phase triggers.
The Efreet’s high mana cost and unpredictability require careful deck consideration and may deter some players.
Chance-based damage and meta disruption make Fickle Efreet a tantalizing choice for players favoring chaos.

Text of card

Whenever Fickle Efreet attacks or blocks, flip a coin at end of combat. If you lose the flip, an opponent gains control of Fickle Efreet.

Flame chooses its own course.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Fickle Efreet provides a unique way to potentially gain card advantage during combat. When involved in a fight, the coin flip outcome can offer an additional way to remove an opponent’s creatures, giving you the upper hand in controlling the board.

Resource Acceleration: While the Fickle Efreet itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its presence can deter opponents from investing in more resources on the battlefield. This indirect influence can help you maintain or accelerate your own resources by keeping the opponent’s board under control.

Instant Speed: The ability to threaten a creature’s destruction at instant speed during combat can shift the dynamics of a game. Fickle Efreet’s triggered ability activates during the combat phase, allowing you to interact on the fly and forcing your opponent to carefully consider their attack strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stepping into the realm of chance with Fickle Efreet can come with a price, as playing it requires precise timing. Given its unpredictable nature, you may end up discarding valuable cards in your hand that you would prefer to keep for other strategic plays or combinations within your game.

Specific Mana Cost: Fickle Efreet demands a particular commitment to red mana to summon it to the battlefield. This necessity makes it less flexible and could potentially puzzle players with multicolored decks trying to balance their mana base to accommodate the Efreet’s casting cost.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a significant amount of four mana required to bring the Fickle Efreet into play, players might hesitate to opt for this card over others with similar or more reliable abilities. This cost consideration often leads to the Efreet being overshadowed by other four-mana creatures or spells that guarantee a more consistent benefit to the player’s strategy.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Fickle Efreet offers an appealing flexibility for players who appreciate chance elements in their deck. Its ability to potentially deal substantial damage to any target at the cost of a coin flip makes it suitable for various strategies from control to aggressive builds.

Combo Potential: This chaotic card can be a powerhouse in combo setups. Its potential to become a repeating source of damage or to synergize with cards that manipulate or benefit from coin tosses adds a layer of depth to gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where unpredictability can disrupt well-laid plans, Fickle Efreet’s randomness may give it an edge. Its presence on the battlefield forces opponents to consider the potential risks of an unfavorable coin flip, which can be tactically advantageous.

How to Beat

Fickle Efreet presents an unpredictable challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This red creature is known for its chance-based effect, potentially driving opponents to modify their strategy to manage its coin-flipping chaos. But overcoming this whimsical trickster is not insurmountable. The key lies in understanding and mitigating its randomness.

Dealing with Fickle Efreet calls for careful deck construction. Include spell cards that can target and remove creatures at instant speed, which gives you the flexibility to respond to the Efreet’s effect trigger before its coin flip resolves. Furthermore, employ control strategies that limit the Efreet’s owner from manipulating or predicting the outcome of the flip. Ensnaring spells and abilities that frustrate tactics based on chance favor your likelihood of containing Fickle Efreet’s volatility. Finally, adding cards that allow you to choose how a coin lands can neutralize Fickle Efreet, turning its risky coin toss into a predictable result that works to your advantage.

Your victory against Fickle Efreet hinges on preparation and adaptability. Balance your deck with removal, control, and predictability to ensure that this capricious elemental doesn’t leave your strategy up to a flip of a coin.

Cards like Fickle Efreet

Fickle Efreet bears an interesting position within the pantheon of red chaos cards in MTG. Reminiscent of other chance-based cards, such as Goblin Bangchuckers, which also incorporates the coin flip mechanic to determine an outcome. However, Fickle Efreet raises the stakes with its potential for repeated destruction every turn it is in play, as opposed to the one-time use seen in Goblin Bangchuckers. This card offers players a repeating source of potential board control, albeit tied to the whims of fortune.

A closer peer to Fickle Efreet is the card, Creepy Doll. It too involves the flip of a coin to seal the fate of an opponent’s creature; yet, it boasts indestructibility, guaranteeing its presence on the board. This subtle difference means Creepy Doll can potentially influence the board turn after turn without the risk of losing itself in the fray, unlike the more vulnerable Fickle Efreet. Moreover, the unassuming Mogg Assassin presents a similar mechanic, allowing players to attempt an assassination of target creatures through a clash of chance.

While each chaos card in MTG presents unique risks and rewards, Fickle Efreet’s blend of controlled unpredictability and raw destructive power makes it a notable, if mercurial, asset for players embracing the chaos strategy.

Cards similar to Fickle Efreet by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Dragon Whelp - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)

Keldon Warlord - Collectors' Edition (CED)

Crimson Manticore - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)

Nalathni Dragon - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Everquill Phoenix - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fickle Efreet MTG card by a specific set like Prophecy, 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 Fickle Efreet and other MTG cards: