Tribal Flames MTG Card
2000-10-02 - Number 176
2006-10-06 - Number 70
2010-03-19 - Number 51
2013-06-07 - Number 138
2015-05-22 - Number 132
2023-07-18 - Number 11
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Domain |
Text of card
Tribal Flames deals X damage to target creature or player, where X is the number of basic land types among lands you control.
"Fire is the universal language." —Jhoira, master artificer
Cards like Tribal Flames
Tribal Flames takes its rightful place in the roster of damage-dealing spells in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This spell is often juxtaposed with Lightning Bolt, an iconic option known for its cost-efficiency, dealing 3 damage for just one red mana. Tribal Flames, though, boasts potential for greater damage output, as it solely relies on the diversity of your lands’ basic land types for its might.
The likes of Incinerate also find themselves in comparison to Tribal Flames. Incinerate delivers 3 damage to any target and prevents regeneration, just like Lightning Bolt, but does so at two mana instead. What sets Tribal Flames apart is its scalability, which can surpass the damage threshold of Incinerate, contingent on a well-structured mana base.
Lastly, there’s Skred, a spell that also scales with the game but instead through the number of snow-covered lands you control. Its potential damage increases over time, yet Tribal Flames can immediately impact the game given a diverse land spread from the get-go. Evaluating these cards, it’s clear that Tribal Flames offers a unique flexibility and power level that can rival or even exceed similar spells in Magic: The Gathering when leveraged effectively.
Cards similar to Tribal Flames by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Tribal Flames. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Domain Zoo | Modern | Domain Zoo | Modern Challenge 64 2024-05-04 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Tribal Flames becomes a potent tool for creating card quality advantage by precisely targeting and removing key threats on the board. With the ability to scale its damage, it allows you to conserve other removal spells and resources for larger threats that may emerge later in the game.
Resource Acceleration: This spell doesn’t directly accelerate resources, but it can be considered a form of indirect acceleration. By effectively managing threats with Tribal Flames, you ensure your mana and other resources can be allocated to furthering your board state and strategy without being diverted to address enemy creatures.
Instant Speed: While Tribal Flames is a sorcery, it benefits from being played at the precise moment you have maximized the number of basic land types under your control, thus delivering optimal damage to the target. Its flexible nature allows for efficient planning during your turn to maximize the impact of your available mana.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Tribal Flames demands a diverse mana base to maximize its damage output. This requisite can be restrictive, especially for mono-colored or two-colored decks, limiting its utility in less varied decks.
Specific Mana Cost: While this card’s mana cost is set at one red, achieving optimal damage requires a spectrum of mana symbols in play. This can clash with a player’s strategy to maintain a stable mana curve throughout the game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Tribal Flames has the potential for extensive damage, the condition to have a domain of all five basic land types can make its casting cost effectively higher. This spatial requirement often means delaying other plays and can be competitively inefficient compared to other direct damage spells with a lower or more flexible cost.
Reasons to Include Tribal Flames in Your Collection
Versatility: Tribal Flames is a powerful addition to multicolored decks, with the potential to deal significant direct damage to opponents. It fits well in decks that capitalize on domain mechanics, where the number of basic land types you control increases the spell’s damage output.
Combo Potential: This spell’s scalability makes it an ideal choice for combos with cards that manipulate the number of basic land types under your control, or with those that allow you to search for the myriad of land types quickly to maximize the damage dealt.
Meta-Relevance: In a game that often shifts towards aggressive strategies, Tribal Flames shines by offering up a swift and decisive way to finish games. Given the diversified mana bases in contemporary MTG formats, this card becomes an asset that adapts well to the evolving gameplay and can be a game-changer in the right deck.
How to Beat Tribal Flames
Tribal Flames is a notable card that harnesses the power of domain, dealing damage equal to the number of basic land types among lands you control. This mechanic can lead to substantial damage in a multi-colored deck and can be quite the finisher. To effectively counter this card, it helps to limit the variety of land types in play or reduce your life total’s vulnerability to a sudden burst of damage.
One strategy is to utilize land hate cards that can alter the land types on the battlefield or exile lands from the game, thus diminishing the domain’s potency. Cards with damage prevention or life gain can also provide a cushion against the impact of Tribal Flames, allowing you strategic leeway to push forward in the game despite the threat it presents.
Understanding the decks that commonly incorporate Tribal Flames is also key. Such decks often rely on a colorful mana base; therefore, nonbasic land disruption could impair their performance significantly. It’s about creating an environment where Tribal Flames loses its edge and becomes less of a game-changer. By adjusting your playstyle and including specific measures, Tribal Flames becomes far less daunting to face across the table.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Tribal Flames MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and Time Spiral Timeshifted, 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 Tribal Flames and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Tribal Flames Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2023-07-18. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2000-10-02 | Invasion | INV | 176 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 2 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral Timeshifted | TSB | 70 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 3 | 2010-03-19 | Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition | DDE | 51 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Tony Szczudlo | |
| 4 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 138 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 5 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 132 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 6 | 2023-07-18 | Historic Anthology 7 | HA7 | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Tribal Flames has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Tribal Flames card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-06-18 | Domain abilities count the number of basic land types among lands you control, not how many lands you control or how many of any type. |
| 2021-06-18 | The basic land types are Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, and Forest. Land types other than basic land types (such as Desert) don’t contribute to domain abilities. |