Flowstone Salamander MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Salamander
Released	1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set name	Tempest
Set code	TMP
Power	3
Toughness	4
Number	175
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daniel Gelon

Key Takeaways

Provides control and indirect card advantage by shaping board dynamics with its repeatable effect.
Instant speed activation offers strategic flexibility and surprise tactics during gameplay.
Demanding card and mana resources can be a drawback, requiring careful deck construction.

Text of card

o R: Flowstone Salamander deals 1 damage to target creature blocking it.

The Furnace of Rath is periodically illuminated by their sparkling yawns.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Flowstone Salamander grants an ongoing opportunity to manipulate board dynamics each turn, potentially turning the tide by handling various creatures throughout the game. The ability to control the board and reduce opponent threats translates into a kind of indirect card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t produce mana or Treasure tokens directly, this card can accelerate your resource utilization efficiency by providing a repeatable effect without additional mana investment. This means you can continue to deploy other cards from your hand, maintaining pressure on your opponent.

Instant Speed: Having the capability to activate its ability at instant speed means the Flowstone Salamander can be used defensively against attacks or tactically before your own turn begins, allowing for versatile strategic plays and keeping your opponents guessing.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Immersing yourself in the strategy-driven world of MTG often revolves around resource management. Flowstone Salamander demands a discard from your hand to activate its ability—a potentially risky move that could deplete your tactical options too early in the game, making it a double-edged sword in tightly-contested matches.

Specific Mana Cost: Crafting the perfect deck is an art and Flowstone Salamander requires a precise brushstroke of red mana. This particular need might pigeonhole it into red-based or multicolor decks, denying mono-deck strategies the flexibility they desire and potentially disrupting the mana curve critical for victory.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When delving into the arsenal of cards available, savvy players will note that Flowstone Salamander comes at a steep cost. With other creatures and spells offering more bang for their mana buck, carefully weighing this card’s cost against its board impact is essential, particularly when efficiency could be the key to claiming the upper hand.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Flowstone Salamander’s ability to be activated as an instant allows it to be a useful tool in various situations, whether it’s to surprise an opponent in combat or to adjust its power and toughness strategically.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with decks focused on manipulating creature stats, or with those looking to benefit from the death of its own creatures as part of a larger strategy.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, having a reactive creature like Flowstone Salamander can be crucial in match-ups that require adaptable solutions to ever-changing threats on the board.

How to beat

Flowstone Salamander may not be the center of attention in every MTG deck, but countering this creature can be key in certain matchups. Its versatility mainly stems from its ability to deal one damage to target creature whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control. To effectively neutralize the Flowstone Salamander, you can employ various strategies.

Firstly, the use of instant speed removal spells ensures that you can respond quickly to the activation of its ability, minimizing the impact on your creatures. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are excellent for this task. Secondly, consider limiting the Salamander’s triggers by controlling land plays with cards that restrict landfall abilities or punish multiple land drops, such as Confounding Conundrum.

Furthermore, keeping your creatures out of range with buffs or utilizing those with toughness greater than one can mitigate its effectiveness. Ultimately, understanding when to remove the Salamander and managing your board presence accordingly can protect your key creatures and ensure your permanents aren’t consistently threatened by this fiery lizard.

Cards like Flowstone Salamander

Flowstone Salamander enters the realm of creature cards in MTG as an intriguing card with a special ability that allows it to deal damage to a creature upon activation. It shares a common function with cards like Prodigal Pyromancer and Cunning Sparkmage, both of which can ping creatures or players for one damage. The key difference is that Flowstone Salamander’s ability is limited to creatures and it requires the usage of both red mana and a discard – this represents a heavier resource investment in contrast to the other two.

Comparatively, Ember Hauler offers a somewhat similar effect but with a sacrifice element, removing itself from the board to deal damage. This differs significantly from Flowstone Salamander’s reusable ability as long as the mana and card-drawing conditions are met. Fire Whip is another card with a resemblance in function, allowing for repeated use but it comes attached to another creature and adds the risk of that creature being removed.

Evaluating the utility and flexibility of these cards, Flowstone Salamander stands out in scenarios where recurring direct creature damage is necessary, albeit with a cost. Its ability to repeatedly control the board may well compensate for its resource demands, especially in the right deck with ample draw power.

Cards similar to Flowstone Salamander by color, type and mana cost

Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions

Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions

Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions

Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flowstone Salamander MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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 Flowstone Salamander and other MTG cards: