Sulfuric Vapors MTG Card

Consistently increases red spell damage, accentuating an aggro play style and enhancing spell value each turn. Offers dynamic synergy with instant speed actions, allowing for strategic advantage without immediate mana use. Despite its strengths, it demands careful deck building due to its color and mana specificity and card advantage trade-off.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set name	Urza's Saga
Set code	USG
Number	220
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Lawrence Snelly

Text of card

Whenever a red spell deals damage, it instead deals that amount of damage plus 1.

It was the dragons who first learned to chase their prey into the vapors before igniting them.

Cards like Sulfuric Vapors

Sulfuric Vapors is an intriguing card that amplifies the damage output in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often compared to similar enchantments like Furnace of Rath, which also doubles the damage dealt to every creature and player. However, Sulfuric Vapors offers subtler increments by boosting only the red instant and sorcery spells, making it a niche choice for specific decks compared to the more universal appeal of Furnace of Rath.

Another card akin to Sulfuric Vapors is Pyromancer’s Swath. Both empower your spells, but Pyromancer’s Swath is more extreme, increasing damage at the cost of discarding your hand at the end of the turn. On the flip side, Sulfuric Vapors impacts the board with less risk to your hand, although in a more limited scope. Then there’s Dictate of the Twin Gods, a force to be reckoned with that also doubles damage but does so under a flash mechanic, allowing for sudden and unexpected game turns in comparison to the steady presence of Sulfuric Vapors.

Overall, Sulfuric Vapors finds a unique slot in the card portfolio of Magic: The Gathering, catering to players looking for a damage boost without the broader strokes of some alternatives.

Dictate of the Twin Gods - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Sulfuric Vapors by color, type and mana cost

Uncontrollable Anger - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Enhances damage output from your spells, effectively increasing the value of each card played and potentially leading to a quicker defeat of your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: Gives a consistent boost to red spell damage, allowing for a more aggressive play style and enabling you to leverage your spells to their fullest potential every turn.

Instant Speed: Even though Sulfuric Vapors itself is an enchantment, it synergizes well with cards that operate at instant speed, offering an ongoing advantage without requiring immediate mana investment at a critical moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Sulfuric Vapors could set you back in card advantage. If your strategy relies on maintaining a full grip of options, introducing this card to your deck may occasionally clash with your plan, as it lacks a draw or discard mechanic to help mitigate this downside.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Sulfuric Vapors is exclusive to red mana intensive decks. This specificity can limit deck-building options, making it a less versatile choice if your deck aims for a more varied mana base or a different color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three with a stringent requirement of one red, Sulfuric Vapors may not be the most mana-efficient choice for its effect. Players should consider if the incremental damage boost justifies the slot over potentially lower costed cards that could offer more immediate or varied impacts on the game state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Sulfuric Vapors is a unique enchantment that can seamlessly integrate into decks that aim to deal widespread damage. Its ability to enhance the damage from red sources makes it a versatile addition, especially in decks focusing on burn strategies or spells that deal damage to multiple targets.

Combo Potential: This card unlocks potent combo opportunities with cards that deal damage in small increments. By increasing each point of damage dealt, Sulfuric Vapors can turn seemingly modest spells into devastating plays, making it an asset in combos seeking to close out games quickly.

Meta-Relevance: The card’s impact in the current meta can’t be understated, particularly in environments where red aggressive or burn decks are flourishing. Considering its power to amplify every instance of red damage, it can push these strategies over the top against a variety of opposing decks.

How to beat

Sulfuric Vapors is a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that boosts red spell damage. Its effect can be quite overpowering as it intensifies the impact of burn spells, a common strategy in red decks. To successfully navigate against this card, consider increasing your life total to outpace the damage enhancement. Utilizing cards with lifelink or those that grant you extra life can create a buffer against the augmented damage output.

Another strategy is to target and remove the enchantment directly. Cards with enchantment destruction abilities can dismantle the advantage Sulfuric Vapors provides to your opponent. Green spells like Naturalize or white’s Disenchant are both efficient and common ways to rid the battlefield of troublesome enchantments. Finally, countering the spells that would benefit from the Vapors’ effect is an effective tactic. Blue decks have a plethora of counter spells like Counterspell or Negate, which can directly address the spells that Sulfuric Vapors aims to empower.

Dealing with Sulfuric Vapors requires a blend of life-gain, direct removal, and strategic countering. Recognize the threat early and adjust your gameplay accordingly to ensure that this enchantment does not tip the scales too far in your opponent’s favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sulfuric Vapors MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Sulfuric Vapors and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sulfuric Vapors has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-10-04	If the red spell damages more than one target, add 1 to each target.
2004-10-04	The ability is a replacement effect which is applied when damage would become dealt.