Ghitu Firebreathing MTG Card


Ghitu Firebreathing - Time Spiral
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant, Flash
Released2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set nameTime Spiral
Set codeTSP
Number158
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byJim Nelson

Key Takeaways

  1. The card offers surprise power boosts, turning creatures into unexpected threats in a game.
  2. Its requirement to discard can be a significant drawback, especially in tight situations.
  3. Ghitu Firebreathing’s versatility makes it a strong addition to red-themed decks.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.) Enchant creature : Enchanted creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn. : Return Ghitu Firebreathing to its owner's hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ghitu Firebreathing has the potential to surprise an opponent with a sudden increase in power, potentially turning any creature into a formidable threat. This can swing the game in your favor by making your creatures more deadly and prompting card disadvantage on your opponent’s side.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, the flexibility of Ghitu Firebreathing allows for a strategic resource acceleration in terms of threat level. The ability to pump a creature at any time can force opponents to commit more resources to deal with potential threats, effectively hastening your game plan.

Instant Speed: Ghitu Firebreathing’s instant speed gives it a tactical edge, enabling you to adapt to the state of the game and manage your mana efficiently. It allows you to make split-second decisions that can enhance your creature’s power during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions, keeping your opponent guessing and on the defensive.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ghitu Firebreathing requires you to discard a card to activate its ability, presenting a significant setback when your hand is already depleting or when each card holds crucial value to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s reliance on red mana can restrict its integration into multi-colored decks, making it a less flexible option for players who aren’t fully committed to a red-centric deck construction.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment needed to extract value from Ghitu Firebreathing can be steep considering it demands not just a red mana payment but also the added cost of discarding. There are alternative cards that enhance creature power without such a high overhead, potentially offering a better return on mana expenditure.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ghitu Firebreathing is a valuable addition to any red aggressive deck or strategy that focuses on direct damage. Its ability to temporarily boost a creature’s power provides a flexible solution for overcoming blockers or closing out games unexpectedly.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with creatures that benefit from increased power, have trample, or when paired with untap mechanics to amplify its effect for multiple boosts in a single turn, enhancing its damage-dealing capabilities exponentially.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based combat is prevalent, Ghitu Firebreathing can turn an unassuming creature into a significant threat, making it a card worth considering for decks that aim to stay ahead of common defensive strategies.


How to beat

Ghitu Firebreathing is an intriguing aspect of red deck strategies in MTG, allowing a creature to hit harder every time mana is invested. This enchantment gives players the ability to temporarily increase a creature’s power, potentially leading to surprising knockout blows. To circumvent this trick, it’s essential to manage your resources wisely.

A key strategy is to maintain removal spells or creatures with reach or flash in your arsenal to eliminate the enchanted creature before the damage boost can be activated. Counterspells can also be effective by preventing Ghitu Firebreathing from ever hitting the battlefield. Additionally, instant-speed removal is invaluable as it can disrupt your opponent’s mana investment mid-combat. Playing against such enchantments requires careful timing and resource allocation, but by remaining alert and prioritizing threats, you can mitigate the impact of this potent firepower on your match outcomes.

Taking into account the tempo and the threat assessment is vital when facing enchantments like Ghitu Firebreathing. By preparing the right answers and knowing when to deploy them, the potential threat can be reduced, allowing you to maintain control and ultimately triumph over such force-multiplying cards.


Cards like Ghitu Firebreathing

The Ghitu Firebreathing card brings an intriguing dynamic to the realm of temporary buff spells in Magic: The Gathering. This card stands side by side with effects like Dragon Mantle, which also bestows a boost in power to a creature at a low mana cost. However, Ghitu Firebreathing’s distinct advantage lies in its flash capability, allowing for surprise enhancements during combat. Meanwhile, Dragon Mantle offers card draw, sacrificing the element of surprise.

Exploring other counterparts, we encounter Bravado, which scales the power increase based on the number of creatures you control. Even though Bravado does not have the flexibility of Ghitu Firebreathing for being an aura without flash, it has the potential for a higher reward in creature-heavy decks. Additionally, we have Crown of Flames, refundable with its “return to hand” ability, though it lacks the immediate playability that flash on Ghitu Firebreathing provides.

In the grand scheme, Ghitu Firebreathing shines with its flash feature, offering strategic value in combat by enhancing creatures unexpectedly. This makes it a credible candidate among its peer buff spells for players seeking sudden, tactical advantages in their MTG games.

Dragon Mantle - MTG Card versions
Bravado - MTG Card versions
Crown of Flames - MTG Card versions
Dragon Mantle - Theros (THS)
Bravado - Urza's Saga (USG)
Crown of Flames - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Ghitu Firebreathing by color, type and mana cost

Power Surge - MTG Card versions
Raging River - MTG Card versions
Smoke - MTG Card versions
Goblin Kites - MTG Card versions
The Brute - MTG Card versions
Giant Strength - MTG Card versions
Lightning Reflexes - MTG Card versions
Errantry - MTG Card versions
Goblin Festival - MTG Card versions
Scald - MTG Card versions
Cave Sense - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Surge - MTG Card versions
Maniacal Rage - MTG Card versions
Battle Strain - MTG Card versions
Goblin Bombardment - MTG Card versions
Underworld Breach - MTG Card versions
Lightning Rift - MTG Card versions
Fractured Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Fire Whip - MTG Card versions
Emblem of the Warmind - MTG Card versions
Power Surge - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Raging River - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Smoke - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Goblin Kites - Fallen Empires (FEM)
The Brute - Renaissance (REN)
Giant Strength - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Lightning Reflexes - Mirage (MIR)
Errantry - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Goblin Festival - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Scald - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cave Sense - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Flowstone Surge - Nemesis (NEM)
Maniacal Rage - Conflux (CON)
Battle Strain - Odyssey (ODY)
Goblin Bombardment - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Underworld Breach - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)
Lightning Rift - Onslaught (ONS)
Fractured Loyalty - Mirrodin (MRD)
Fire Whip - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Emblem of the Warmind - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ghitu Firebreathing MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Ghitu Firebreathing and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ghitu Firebreathing has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2006-09-25 If you return Ghitu Firebreathing to its owner’s hand while the +1/+0 ability is on the stack, that ability will still give the creature that was last enchanted by Ghitu Firebreathing +1/+0.

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