Fire and Brimstone MTG Card


Fire and Brimstone - The Dark
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Released1994-08-01
Set symbol
Set nameThe Dark
Set codeDRK
Number9
Frame1993
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJeff A. Menges

Key Takeaways

  1. Its virtual card advantage disrupts opponents by dealing with multiple threats efficiently.
  2. Flexible use at instant speed allows for significant tactical plays during an opponent’s turn.
  3. Demands careful hand and mana management due to discard and specific cost requirements.

Text of card

Fire and Brimstone does 4 damage to target player and 4 damage to you. Can only be used during a turn in which target player has declared an attack.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Fire and Brimstone doesn’t directly provide card advantage in the traditional sense of drawing cards. However, it can serve as a form of virtual card advantage by efficiently dealing with multiple targets. This can lead to a favorable board state where you’ve managed to mitigate more threats with fewer resources than your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While Fire and Brimstone doesn’t generate additional resources, such as mana or tokens, its cost-to-effect ratio can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. By impacting the board significantly with a single card, you’re effectively accelerating your pathway to victory, potentially bypassing the need for additional mana or turns to develop your game plan.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Fire and Brimstone gives it flexibility, allowing you to make pivotal plays during your opponent’s turn. This tactical advantage can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, and the surprise element can swing the game in your favor when timed correctly. It ensures that you’re never truly tapped out of options, even during your opponent’s most crucial turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Fire and Brimstone forces you to discard a card upon activation, putting you at a potential card advantage loss, especially problematic when your hand is already running low.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mana combination to cast, restricting its integration exclusively into decks that can generate both red and white mana reliably.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the impact it delivers, Fire and Brimstone’s mana cost is on the higher side. Alternatives may provide similar or better effects for a lower investment, making them more appealing for deck construction.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Fire and Brimstone offers a flexible approach to deck building. It’s impactful in game formats where direct damage and life point manipulation are key strategies.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to target multiple opponents works wonderfully with strategies that amplify damage or benefit from the loss of life, making it a lynchpin in various combo builds.

Meta-Relevance: In a playing field that values sweepers and direct player damage, Fire and Brimstone finds its place, being especially potent against decks that go wide with creatures or require stability in life totals to operate effectively.


How to beat

Fire and Brimstone is a card that players often encounter due to its potential to deal significant damage. Thwarting this threat requires strategic foresight and an understanding of its mechanics. To outmaneuver this card, it’s critical to maintain a strong life total, as the damage it deals can be decisive in the late game. Furthermore, control decks equipped with counter spells can effectively negate Fire and Brimstone’s impact by preventing it from ever resolving.

Shielding your creatures is another efficient method. Enchantments and abilities that grant your creatures protection from red or indestructibility can diminish Fire and Brimstone’s effectivity. It’s also pertinent to consider the timing of Fire and Brimstone; it can only be cast during the main phase, thus keeping mana open for instant-speed responses or deploying threats during your opponent’s end step can pressure them into misusing their mana or delaying their pivotal spell. By anticipating the card and adapting your tactics accordingly, you can navigate past Fire and Brimstone’s explosive potential and secure your grip on the game.


Cards like Fire and Brimstone

Fire and Brimstone is an intriguing card within Magic: The Gathering that showcases its uniqueness in direct damage spells. It resembles cards like Lightning Bolt in its capacity to inflict damage, although Lightning Bolt is more flexible, allowing you to target creatures or players without any downside. Fire and Brimstone, distinct in its design, deals damage exclusively to attacking or blocking creatures and also damages you, which exemplifies its double-edged nature.

Another card that shares a similar space is Pyroclasm. Albeit Pyroclasm affects all creatures on the board and doesn’t hit players, it serves as a useful comparison for its damage-dealing properties. Fire and Brimstone’s focused approach contrasts with Pyroclasm’s sweeping effect. Then, looking at Flame Rift, a card that also deals damage to players, Fire and Brimstone again sets itself apart by influencing combat directly, whereas Flame Rift is a non-interactive damage dealer.

Conclusively, Fire and Brimstone offers a unique blend of risk and reward, representing a niche but potent option for players who wish to influence combat outcomes while accepting personal risk, thereby carving out its own space in the direct damage spells category of Magic: The Gathering.

Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Pyroclasm - MTG Card versions
Flame Rift - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Pyroclasm - Ice Age (ICE)
Flame Rift - Nemesis (NEM)

Cards similar to Fire and Brimstone by color, type and mana cost

Scars of the Veteran - MTG Card versions
Jabari's Influence - MTG Card versions
Miraculous Recovery - MTG Card versions
Double Dip - MTG Card versions
Second Thoughts - MTG Card versions
Soul Nova - MTG Card versions
Stir the Pride - MTG Card versions
Turn the Tables - MTG Card versions
Charge Across the Araba - MTG Card versions
Brace for Impact - MTG Card versions
Swell of Courage - MTG Card versions
Endure - MTG Card versions
Gleam of Resistance - MTG Card versions
Arrow Volley Trap - MTG Card versions
Banishment Decree - MTG Card versions
Meditation Puzzle - MTG Card versions
Sanctified Charge - MTG Card versions
Take Up Arms - MTG Card versions
Enduring Victory - MTG Card versions
Roil's Retribution - MTG Card versions
Scars of the Veteran - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Jabari's Influence - Mirage (MIR)
Miraculous Recovery - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Double Dip - Unglued (UGL)
Second Thoughts - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Soul Nova - Mirrodin (MRD)
Stir the Pride - Modern Masters (MMA)
Turn the Tables - Darksteel (DST)
Charge Across the Araba - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Brace for Impact - Dissension (DIS)
Swell of Courage - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)
Endure - Eventide (EVE)
Gleam of Resistance - The List (PLST)
Arrow Volley Trap - Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning (DDN)
Banishment Decree - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Meditation Puzzle - The List (PLST)
Sanctified Charge - Magic 2015 (M15)
Take Up Arms - Battlebond (BBD)
Enduring Victory - The List (PLST)
Roil's Retribution - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fire and Brimstone MTG card by a specific set like The Dark, 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 Fire and Brimstone and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fire and Brimstone has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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