Blue Elemental Blast MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 21 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Disrupts opponent plays, offering control over the game’s flow with its one-for-one trade potential.
  2. Its instant speed allows for tactical responses to threats, maintaining your pace in the game.
  3. While powerful, its deck slot and specific mana requirements may limit its flexibility.

Text of card

Counters a red spell being cast or destroys a red card in play.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blue Elemental Blast offers a strategic edge by providing a one-for-one exchange that often disrupts an opponent’s key play. This interaction can lead the way to a significant shift in the control of the game, giving the player utilizing Blue Elemental Blast the upper hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly acting as a resource accelerator, the efficiency of Blue Elemental Blast can indirectly maintain your mana development by eliminating threats or actions that would set you back, aiding in steadily progressing your board state without interruption.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Blue Elemental Blast at instant speed offers the flexibility to respond during critical phases of your opponent’s turn. This could potentially neutralize surprise threats or pivotal spells, ensuring that you are always prepared to handle unexpected red strategies at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Blue Elemental Blast doesn’t require a discard, but it’s important to note the card slot it occupies in your deck could be critical. Choosing it means you might forgo another card that provides a broader utility or a lower cost alternative.

Specific Mana Cost: This card necessitates a single blue mana, which restricts its playability to decks that run blue mana sources. This can limit deck diversity and potentially impact your mana curve, reducing the flexibility in deck design.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While one mana may not seem like much, in a game where speed and efficiency are key, the cost for a Blue Elemental Blast could be a deterrent, particularly when there are other spells in the game that offer more versatile responses or proactive plays at a similar or lower mana cost.


Reasons to Include Blue Elemental Blast in Your Collection

Versatility: Blue Elemental Blast offers a powerful option for sideboards or even main decks to counteract red threats. With the ability to counter red spells or destroy red permanents, this card is an excellent tool for control and tempo decks.

Combo Potential: The card’s instant speed allows for surprise plays and can disrupt opponent combos that rely on red spells. It fits well in blue-centric decks that protect key pieces or clear the way for their own combos to resolve.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where red aggro or burn decks are prevalent, Blue Elemental Blast can be a game-changer. Its low mana cost and specific targeting make it a choice card for dealing with formidable red strategies.


How to beat

The Blue Elemental Blast is a powerful tool for blue mages looking to gain an upper hand against red spells and permanents in the multiverse of Magic: The Gathering. This instant spell is not just a reactive measure; it’s a preemptive strike against fiery threats. However, if you’re facing this classic card, fear not. To outplay the Blue Elemental Blast, the key lies in diversification. By weaving a deck with a plethora of non-red spells or by deploying formidable multicolored or colorless creatures, you can effectively dilute the impact of this blue instant.

Alternate strategies include baiting out the blast with less critical red spells or using cards like Pyroblast or Red Elemental Blast, which serve as a direct counter to blue spells, evening the odds on the battlefield. Additionally, taking advantage of cards with hexproof or protection from blue can leave your opponent’s Blue Elemental Blast hopelessly stranded in their hand. By keeping these strategies in mind and analyzing your deck’s vulnerabilities, you can turn the tide and keep your arsenal safe from the blue mage’s watery wrath.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is all about understanding each card’s role in your deck and strategy. Blue Elemental Blast has been discussed for its card advantage, instant speed flexibility, and sideboard strength. As you build your deck, consider the ebb and flow of the current meta and the versatility of your reactions. This card can tip scales in your favor against red-focused adversaries. If your aim is to hold a line against fiery offenses or to simply appreciate the historical significance of such a card in your collection, exploring the depths of Blue Elemental Blast is a strategic move. Join fellow enthusiasts as we dive deeper into optimizing your gameplay, leveraging classic spells, and outmaneuvering opponents at BurnMana.


Cards like Blue Elemental Blast

The Blue Elemental Blast stands out as an iconic piece within the realm of counterspells and damage prevention in MTG. When put side by side with Hydroblast, both cards share the utility of negating red spells or destroying red permanents. Blue Elemental Blast, however, boasts a charmed history from its very beginnings in the Alpha set and has been a recurring tool in players’ arsenals since. Hydroblast, though almost identical in function, was released later and is sometimes overlooked in favor of its predecessor due to the nostalgic value and collectibility of Blue Elemental Blast.

Considering Red Elemental Blast and Pyroblast are their red counterparts, they offer a mirror strategy, allowing players to counter or destroy blue spells. However, these red spells don’t carry the same legacy or prominence in controlling a game as Blue Elemental Blast does, especially in formats where early control can pivot the game’s direction. Their applicability narrows as they fit into different deck types and metagames.

Ultimately, assessing Blue Elemental Blast in comparison with these similar cards points to its lasting impact on control strategies and its revered position within MTG’s wide spectrum of influential spells.

Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Red Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Pyroblast - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - Ice Age (ICE)
Red Elemental Blast - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Pyroblast - Ice Age (ICE)

Cards similar to Blue Elemental Blast by color, type and mana cost

Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Siren's Call - MTG Card versions
Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Winter's Chill - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Force Spike - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions
Envelop - MTG Card versions
Brainstorm - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - Vintage Championship (OVNT)
Jump - Magic 2010 (M10)
Sleight of Mind - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Twiddle - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Unsummon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Siren's Call - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Power Sink - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Spell Blast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Magical Hack - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Riptide - The Dark (DRK)
Winter's Chill - Ice Age (ICE)
Mind Bend - Tenth Edition (10E)
Denied! - Unglued (UGL)
Hydroblast - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Whispers of the Muse - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Ertai's Trickery - Planeshift (PLS)
Force Spike - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Opt - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Envelop - Judgment (JUD)
Brainstorm - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blue Elemental Blast MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Blue Elemental Blast and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Blue Elemental Blast Magic the Gathering card was released in 18 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 491993normalblackRichard Thomas
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 501993normalblackRichard Thomas
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 501993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 501993normalblackRichard Thomas
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 501993normalblackRichard Thomas
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 491993normalblackRichard Thomas
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 491993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 491993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
91995-01-02Media InsertsPMEI 51993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 631993normalblackRichard Thomas
111995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 631993normalwhiteRichard Thomas
122002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 359241997normalblackRichard Thomas
132002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 709222015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
142002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 436062003normalblackChristopher Moeller
152011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 391997normalblackRichard Thomas
162018-03-16Masters 25A25 432015normalblackIzzy
172018-06-15Signature Spellbook: JaceSS1 22015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
182019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 2992015normalblackIzzy
192020-09-26The ListPLST A25-432015normalblackIzzy
202022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 492015normalblackRichard Thomas
212022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 3461997normalblackRichard Thomas

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blue Elemental Blast has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Blue Elemental Blast 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 The decision to counter a spell or destroy a permanent is a decision made on announcement before the target is selected. If the spell is redirected, this mode can’t be changed, so only targets of the selected type are valid.

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