Meltdown MTG Card


Meltdown - Urza's Saga
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released1998-10-12
Set symbol
Set nameUrza's Saga
Set codeUSG
Number203
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDonato Giancola

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides strategic artifact removal, potentially swinging game momentum in your favor.
  2. A versatile card, suitable for main deck or sideboard against artifact-reliant opponents.
  3. Demands precise strategy, given its requirements of specific mana and hand resources.

Text of card

Destroy each artifact with total casting cost X or less.

Catastrophes happened so often at the mana rig that the viashino language had a special word to describe them.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Meltdown provides a strategic edge by potentially removing multiple artifacts from the game, negating your opponent’s resources while maintaining your own card pool.

Resource Acceleration: By dismantling mana-producing artifacts, Meltdown can disrupt your competitor’s resource curve, slowing their game and giving you a clear path to accelerate your board presence.

Instant Speed: The adaptability offered by Meltdown being an instant allows for reactive play, offering a surprise element by targeting artifacts during your opponent’s turn or in response to an activation.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Meltdown comes with the stipulation that a player must discard a card, potentially causing a strategic setback if their hand holds key components for later turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Meltdown’s casting cost demands both red and colorless mana, potentially restricting it to decks that run red or have adequate mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring four mana, this card’s activation cost may be seen as steep compared to other spell options that could deploy multiple threats or affect the board state more immediately.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Meltdown card is a flexible addition to any deck that deals with artifact removal. Its scalable mana cost allows players to adapt to a variety of situations on the battlefield, targeting everything from low-cost equipment to high-powered mana rocks.

Combo Potential: Meltdown has synergy with decks that manipulate the number of artifacts on the field or benefit from the destruction of artifacts, creating opportunities for powerful combinations that can disrupt opponents’ strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame dense with artifact-centric decks, Meltdown serves as a crucial sideboard card or even a main deck choice for players looking to gain an edge. Its presence can shift the balance in matches where artifacts play a key role.


How to Beat

Meltdown is a unique card in MTG known for its ability to systematically dismantle an opponent’s artifact base. This sorcery’s power is proportional to the mana spent, making it quite efficient in later stages of the game when manabases are expanded. Its effectiveness in artifact-heavy metas is undeniable, allowing a player to clear a swath of the opponent’s resources in one focused burst.

To counteract Meltdown’s impact, consider strategies that rely less on artifacts or utilize cards that can quickly regenerate these resources. Additionally, having instant-speed effects that can either save or sacrifice your artifacts for value before Meltdown resolves will also mitigate its potential damage. Effects that grant your artifacts indestructibility or hexproof for the turn could be a saving grace against this red area-of-effect removal.

Understanding the rhythm of your adversary and the likelihood they are running Meltdown in their deck can inform your playstyle, pushing for an early, aggressive lineup or baiting out the removal before investing in more crucial artifacts. As with any strategy in MTG, adaptation and anticipation are key to outplaying a potentially game-changing card like Meltdown.


Cards like Meltdown

Exploring the realm of artifact destruction in Magic: The Gathering, Meltdown stands out with its scalable impact. It’s akin to Shattering Spree, which offers replicated artifact removal depending on the mana pumped into it. On the contrary, Meltdown’s effect scales with the amount of mana spent, providing versatility. While Shattering Spree can target specific artifacts multiple times, Meltdown’s potential for wholesale destruction increases with your investment into a single casting.

Another parallel can be drawn with Vandalblast, which has a similar destructive capability against artifacts. However, Vandalblast offers a unique advantage with its Overload ability, allowing you to wipe out all artifacts an opponent controls at once, bypassing the selective nature of Meltdown. This can be a game-changer in a meta filled with artifact-heavy decks. In contrast, Meltdown also affects your artifacts, which requires careful timing and strategy when used.

Comparatively, Meltdown can be a powerful tool depending on the match-up and board state. Whether it’s the targeted efficiency of Shattering Spree or the sweeping potential of Vandalblast, Meltdown provides a flexible option for players in artifact-heavy formats who look for a scalable and stackable solution to their opponents’ artifacts.

Shattering Spree - MTG Card versions
Vandalblast - MTG Card versions
Shattering Spree - Guildpact (GPT)
Vandalblast - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

Cards similar to Meltdown by color, type and mana cost

Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Fireball - MTG Card versions
Disintegrate - MTG Card versions
Goblin Grenade - MTG Card versions
Mana Clash - MTG Card versions
Winds of Change - MTG Card versions
Detonate - MTG Card versions
Blaze - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Landslide - MTG Card versions
Tremor - MTG Card versions
Ghitu Fire - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Glare - MTG Card versions
Lava Burst - MTG Card versions
Overmaster - MTG Card versions
Devil's Play - MTG Card versions
Firebolt - MTG Card versions
Crack the Earth - MTG Card versions
Meteor Shower - MTG Card versions
Burning Inquiry - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Fireball - The List (PLST)
Disintegrate - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Goblin Grenade - The List (PLST)
Mana Clash - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Winds of Change - Masters Edition (ME1)
Detonate - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Blaze - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Gamble - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Landslide - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Tremor - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Ghitu Fire - Invasion (INV)
Tahngarth's Glare - Apocalypse (APC)
Lava Burst - Deckmasters (DKM)
Overmaster - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Devil's Play - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Firebolt - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Crack the Earth - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Meteor Shower - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Burning Inquiry - Magic 2010 (M10)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Meltdown MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga, 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 Meltdown and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Meltdown has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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