Scent of Cinder MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Can convert red cards in hand to high damage, potentially ending games in MTG.
  2. Instant speed allows strategic gameplay, disrupting opponents on their turn.
  3. Discarding for max value can deplete resources, making it a double-edged sword.

Text of card

Reveal any number of red cards in your hand. Scent of Cinder deals X damage to target creature or player, where X is the number of cards revealed this way.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Scent of Cinder could offer a varying level of card advantage depending on the number of red cards in your hand. In a deck tailored to make the most of it, this could result in a significant damage output, effectively converting excess cards into potential game-ending plays.

Resource Acceleration: While Scent of Cinder itself doesn’t directly accelerate resource production, casting it for its potential maximum damage can quickly shift the tempo of the game. Successfully clearing blockers or damaging opponents could indirectly accelerate your winning strategy by removing obstacles.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Scent of Cinder at instant speed provides enormous strategic flexibility. It allows players to wait for the most opportune moment before revealing the strength of their hand, potentially catching an opponent off-guard or disrupting their plans during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully harness Scent of Cinder’s potential, you need to discard a card, which can deplete your hand and be detrimental if you’re already behind in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands red mana to cast. If you’re playing a multicolored deck or don’t have red mana readily available, it could sit useless in your hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Scent of Cinder’s mana cost may seem reasonable at first glance, but when you consider the additional cost of discarding, its effectiveness starts to diminish, especially when compared with other damage-dealing spells in the same mana range.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Scent of Cinder offers a flexible damage output that can be easily adjusted to target creatures, planeswalkers, or opponents directly. It’s a strong sideboard card for red decks facing strategies that flood the board with creatures.

Combo Potential: As it counts the number of red cards in your hand, it pairs well with effects that let you draw or reveal multiple cards, potentially delivering a game-ending blow by increasing the damage dealt.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where red-based decks dominate, Scent of Cinder becomes a relevant tool. It thrives as a situational card against creature-heavy decks, allowing red players to remove key threats or close out games abruptly.


How to beat

Scent of Cinder presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, where its power hinges upon revealing red cards from your hand. So, part of the strategy to counter it involves minimizing the damage it can deal. Since the spell’s effect scales with the number of red cards shown, one approach is to disrupt the opponent’s hand with discard effects or by applying pressure to force them to play out their red cards sooner. Cards like Thoughtseize or Duress strip potential fuel for Scent of Cinder right from your opponent’s grip.

Countermagic is another effective tool. Holding up mana for a Counterspell or Mana Leak when your opponent aims to cast Scent of Cinder can negate the threat altogether. It’s also beneficial to be aware of the timing; Scent of Cinder requires a single red mana, so stay alert and ready to respond when your opponent has that mana open. Lastly, playing around this card by managing your life total carefully and maintaining board control can minimize the impact Scent of Cinder might have on the game’s outcome, allowing you to maintain advantage and eventually outpace your opponent.


Cards like Scent of Cinder

Scent of Cinder is a unique spell in MTG that harnesses the power of red elementals. It shares its damage-dealing nature with cards like Flames of the Raze-Boar, which also allows for a potential large output of damage to a single target. Yet, Scent of Cinder’s potential damage is specifically tethered to the number of red cards in your hand, setting it apart with a damage range that can be surprisingly vast.

Another analogous spell is Volcanic Hammer, which offers a fixed damage point of three for two mana. Though it’s consistently reliable, it doesn’t have the scalability of Scent of Cinder. Similarly, Crater’s Claws is a flexible option, its damage augmented by Ferocious if a creature with power 4 or greater is on the field. This capability makes Crater’s Claws a versatile option, but Scent of Cinder can still outshine it with a handful of red cards at a potentially lower mana cost to damage ratio.

Taking into account the unique mechanic of scaling damage with the red cards in hand, Scent of Cinder can certainly find its niche in MTG as a sleeper hit for players harnessing a red-heavy deck, making it an intriguing card for strategies reliant on maintaining a sizable hand.

Flames of the Raze-Boar - MTG Card versions
Volcanic Hammer - MTG Card versions
Crater's Claws - MTG Card versions
Flames of the Raze-Boar - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
Volcanic Hammer - Portal (POR)
Crater's Claws - Khans of Tarkir Promos (PKTK)

Cards similar to Scent of Cinder by color, type and mana cost

Spitting Earth - MTG Card versions
Fanning the Flames - MTG Card versions
Strategy, Schmategy - MTG Card versions
Disorder - MTG Card versions
Warrior's Oath - MTG Card versions
Tribal Flames - MTG Card versions
Incendiary Flow - MTG Card versions
Embereth Shieldbreaker // Battle Display - MTG Card versions
Nahiri's Lithoforming - MTG Card versions
Mizzium Mortars - MTG Card versions
Volcanic Hammer - MTG Card versions
Burning Wish - MTG Card versions
Mana Seism - MTG Card versions
Yamabushi's Storm - MTG Card versions
Face to Face - MTG Card versions
Pyroclasm - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sleigh Ride - MTG Card versions
Hurly-Burly - MTG Card versions
Brood Birthing - MTG Card versions
Whipflare - MTG Card versions
Spitting Earth - Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (DDG)
Fanning the Flames - Stronghold (STH)
Strategy, Schmategy - Unglued (UGL)
Disorder - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Warrior's Oath - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Tribal Flames - Modern Masters (MMA)
Incendiary Flow - Friday Night Magic 2017 (F17)
Embereth Shieldbreaker // Battle Display - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)
Nahiri's Lithoforming - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mizzium Mortars - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Volcanic Hammer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Burning Wish - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mana Seism - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Yamabushi's Storm - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Face to Face - Unhinged (UNH)
Pyroclasm - Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt (DDK)
Goblin Sleigh Ride - Happy Holidays (HHO)
Hurly-Burly - Lorwyn (LRW)
Brood Birthing - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Whipflare - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Scent of Cinder MTG card by a specific set like Media Inserts and Urza's Destiny, 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 Scent of Cinder and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Scent of Cinder Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1999-06-07 and 1999-06-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11995-01-02Media InsertsPMEI 91997normalblackCarl Critchlow
21999-06-07Urza's DestinyUDS 961997normalblackMarc Fishman
32002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 361501997normalblackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Scent of Cinder has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 You reveal cards, and thereby set the value of X, on resolution.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks