The First Eruption MTG Card
2018-04-27 - Number 122
2018-04-27 - Number 122s
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment — Saga |
Text of card
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I — The First Eruption deals 1 damage to each creature without flying. II — Add . III — Sacrifice a Mountain. If you do, The First Eruption deals 3 damage to each creature.
Cards like The First Eruption
The First Eruption, reflecting its narrative-driven design from the Dominaria set, offers a unique spin on red sorceries in Magic: The Gathering. This saga card piques interest by manifesting its effects over several turns. Comparatively, cards like Pyrohemia and Sweltering Suns offer immediate damage to creatures, showcasing the red color’s instant impact philosophy. However, neither carries the incremental storytelling or the mana ramp on the final chapter that The First Eruption features.
Much like other saga cards, such as History of Benalia, The First Eruption unfolds its power across three distinct chapters, but what separates it further is its ability to disrupt opponents’ manabases by forcing the sacrifice of nonbasic lands. This functionality bears similarities to cards like Cleansing Wildfire, albeit at a different pace and point in the game. Additionally, the mana acceleration provided in its third chapter aligns with the effects of cards like Geosurge, yet The First Eruption offers this alongside creature control and land disruption.
In sum, while comparable in specific functionalities to other red spells, The First Eruption holds a niche with its multi-faceted, progressive approach that weaves a narrative into the strategic fabric of the game.
Cards similar to The First Eruption by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The First Eruption offers a stackable series of effects that can disrupt the opponent while advancing your own board state. With its saga structure, it provides incremental advantage as it builds up to its final effect.
Resource Acceleration: This card delivers resource acceleration by enabling the untapping of two lands. This essentially ramps up mana availability, allowing for faster deployment of larger threats or multiple spells in a turn.
Instant Speed: While The First Eruption itself is a saga and not an instant, it can create conditions that are favorable for instant speed interactions, especially after the first chapter triggers. This sets the stage for reactive plays while continuing to pressure the opponent’s resources.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The First Eruption presents a challenge for players needing to pitch a card to initiate its saga abilities. This can be particularly taxing if your hand is already dwindling in card options, thus forcing a painful decision that could affect your game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific mana alignment, requiring not just one but two red mana sources, which can be a hurdle in multicolored decks that may not readily have such resources available when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of one and two red mana, The First Eruption carries a heavier investment for its effects compared to some lower cost alternatives. Players often weigh this against other cards that might provide similar board impact with less strain on their mana curve.
Reasons to Include The First Eruption in Your Collection
Versatility: The First Eruption offers flexibility to red decks, serving both as a saga that prepares the board for large creatures and as a source for mana ramp. Its ability to damage each creature can also act as a preemptive measure against swarm strategies.
Combo Potential: Third chapter’s ability to sacrifice a Mountain triggers landfall and death triggers, enabling intricate combos in decks designed to exploit such mechanics. Furthermore, it can set up the stage for a devastating follow-up play the next turn.
Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s ability to shake up the board and its synergies with red’s aggressive playstyle, The First Eruption can be a tactical addition when the meta leans towards early creature development or when making the most of each turn is critical for maintaining pressure.
How to beat
The First Eruption is a unique saga that can shape the early to mid-game landscape on the battlefield. When you’re facing it, the key is to neutralize the saga’s escalating effects. As we know, the first two lore counters deal damage and ramp mana, setting up for a potent third act that can sweep away smaller creatures. To effectively counter this progression, swift removal of the saga before the third chapter is crucial.
Consider cards that can efficiently handle enchantments like Disenchant or Naturalize to dismantle The First Eruption before its final chapter triggers. Additionally, playing around the saga’s scheduled triggers is vital. Deploying smaller creatures ahead of the second lore counter means risking losing them. Instead, timing creature plays post-saga or employing creatures with higher toughness to withstand the damage are strategic options. Moreover, instant-speed spells that can create tokens or grant indestructibility momentarily during the final chapter’s trigger could preserve your board and leave your opponent’s plan unfulfilled.
It’s a strategic dance with The First Eruption, where timing and preparedness can turn its cataclysmic tale into a fizzled fable, allowing you to maintain control of the game and render your opponent’s plans ineffective.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase The First Eruption MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Dominaria Promos, 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 The First Eruption and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The The First Eruption Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2018-04-27. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-04-27 | Dominaria | DOM | 122 | 2015 | Saga | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 2 | 2018-04-27 | Dominaria Promos | PDOM | 122s | 2015 | Saga | Black | Steven Belledin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where The First Eruption has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering The First Eruption card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-04-27 | A chapter ability doesn’t trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter’s number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the III chapter ability to trigger, but I and II won’t trigger again. |
| 2018-04-27 | As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn’t use the stack. |
| 2018-04-27 | Each symbol on the left of a Saga’s text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability’s chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to. |
| 2018-04-27 | If counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives lore counters. Removing lore counters won’t cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. |
| 2018-04-27 | If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve. |
| 2018-04-27 | Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won’t be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield. |
| 2018-04-27 | Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities—in the Dominaria set, this is always three—the Saga’s controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn’t use the stack. |
| 2018-04-27 | While resolving The First Eruption’s final chapter ability, you must sacrifice one Mountain if able. You can’t sacrifice multiple Mountains to deal more damage. |