Fire Elemental MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 22 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Elemental
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Fire Elemental can shift game dynamics, enforcing opponents to manage resources inefficiently.
  2. A substantial mana investment hints at deck adaptation limits and vulnerability context.
  3. Versatile and meta-relevant, the card is a steadfast choice for red-themed decks.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Playing Fire Elemental can lead to indirect card advantage by pressing the opponent to use multiple resources or cards to deal with a single threat. With its considerable size, it’s often capable of besting smaller creatures in combat, allowing you to maintain or even improve your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While Fire Elemental itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its sheer presence can accelerate the game’s pace. It may force opponents to act more quickly or spend resources, which can indirectly benefit your strategy as the game develops.

Instant Speed: Fire Elemental is cast at sorcery speed, yet its impact on the game is felt immediately. Its entrance into the battlefield can alter the state of play akin to the surprise of an instant. Although it must be played during one of your main phases, its effect on the board can dictate the tempo, compelling your opponent to react swiftly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Fire Elemental often means you’re putting all your mana into one creature, which can leave you vulnerable if you need to respond to an opponent’s moves with no cards in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Fire Elemental carries a mana cost that requires a heavy commitment to red mana, potentially limiting its inclusion in multicolored decks or those with a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Elemental’s cost might be a bit steep given its lack of utility or protection abilities, especially when there are other creatures in the same cost bracket that might offer immediate board impact or additional value.


Reasons to Include Fire Elemental in Your Collection

Versatility: Fire Elemental commands a presence on the battlefield that’s able to adapt to a range of aggressive strategies. It fits neatly into red-themed decks that benefit from solid, straightforward power.

Combo Potential: With its substantial strength, the Fire Elemental can be a lynchpin in decks that capitalize on high power creatures. It pairs well with cards that trigger effects whenever a creature with power 3 or greater enters the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Within the dynamic MTG landscape, a robust creature like Fire Elemental remains relevant, especially in environments where combat-focused gameplay is prevalent. Its substantial 5/4 stats for a relatively low mana cost keep it perpetually useful.


How to beat

Overcoming the ferocity of the Fire Elemental card requires strategic thinking and a familiarity with the breadth of Magic: The Gathering gameplay mechanics. This formidable creature is known for its sheer power, making it a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. But fear not, there are several effective tactics to nullify its impact.

One efficient method is employing removal spells. Cards like Murder, which can destroy any creature at instant speed, or the sorcery-speed Damnation that wipes out all creatures, can deal with Fire Elemental directly without needing to engage in combat. Additionally, countermagic such as Cancel or the more specific Essence Scatter, which negates creature spells, can prevent the Elemental from entering play altogether.

Moreover, chump blocking with smaller creatures can be a viable strategy, especially if those creatures have benefits upon dying, like Doomed Traveler, which creates a token upon death. Last but not least, altering your game plan to outpace your opponent with quicker, more efficient creatures or overcoming them with superior card advantage can turn the tide in your favor. Ultimately, while the Fire Elemental poses a red-hot challenge, a cool-headed approach to game strategy will extinguish the threat.


Cards like Fire Elemental

The Fire Elemental card is a classic creature staple in the fiery arsenal of Magic: The Gathering gameplay. It draws parallels to other elemental behemoths such as the Earth Elemental, which boasts a similar mana cost and power structure. However, the Fire Elemental, with its ability to deal damage solely through its considerable attack strength, diverges in tactics from its earthy cousin known for a more robust defense.

Branching out towards other flammable options, we encounter the Flameborn Hellion. At a comparable mana investment, the Hellion accelerates the aggression with haste, allowing for immediate impact on the battlefield, something the Fire Elemental lacks. On the flip side, the Hellion requires attacking each turn if able, a restriction the versatile Fire Elemental avoids, enabling a more controlled and strategic play.

Analyzing these elemental forces, the Fire Elemental holds its ground in MTG as an archetype of red creatures, offering raw power at a reasonable cost. It exemplifies the essence of red’s relentless assault strategy, although it might lack some of the tactical nuances newer cards introduce.

Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Flameborn Hellion - MTG Card versions
Earth Elemental - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Flameborn Hellion - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Cards similar to Fire Elemental by color, type and mana cost

Earth Elemental - MTG Card versions
Eron the Relentless - MTG Card versions
Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions
Hivis of the Scale - MTG Card versions
Hulking Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Flame Spirit - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions
Ravaging Horde - MTG Card versions
Covetous Dragon - MTG Card versions
Thundering Giant - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions
Savage Firecat - MTG Card versions
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions
Tephraderm - MTG Card versions
Avarax - MTG Card versions
Bonethorn Valesk - MTG Card versions
Frost Ogre - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions
Shard Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Earth Elemental - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Eron the Relentless - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Balduvian War-Makers - Alliances (ALL)
Hivis of the Scale - Mirage (MIR)
Hulking Cyclops - Visions (VIS)
Flame Spirit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Flowstone Salamander - Tempest (TMP)
Ma Chao, Western Warrior - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Ravaging Horde - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Covetous Dragon - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Thundering Giant - Tenth Edition (10E)
Dwarven Strike Force - Odyssey (ODY)
Savage Firecat - Odyssey (ODY)
Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - Innistrad: Crimson Vow (VOW)
Tephraderm - Onslaught (ONS)
Avarax - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bonethorn Valesk - Scourge (SCG)
Frost Ogre - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Heartless Hidetsugu - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Shard Phoenix - Junior APAC Series (PJAS)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fire Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Fire Elemental and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Fire Elemental Magic the Gathering card was released in 20 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1481993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1491993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1491993normalwhiteMelissa A. Benson
41993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1491993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
51993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1491993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1491993normalwhiteMelissa A. Benson
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1491993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1491993normalwhiteMelissa A. Benson
91995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1911993normalblackMelissa A. Benson
101995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1911993normalwhiteMelissa A. Benson
111999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 1761997normalwhiteMelissa A. Benson
121999-07-01Starter 1999S99 961997normalwhiteMelissa A. Benson
132001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 183★1997normalblackDouglas Shuler
142001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1831997normalwhiteDouglas Shuler
152012-07-13Magic 2013M13 1302003normalblackSlawomir Maniak
162018-04-27DominariaDOM 1202015normalblackJoe Slucher
172018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 1412015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
182019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 1382015normalblackJoe Slucher
192019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 9292015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
202020-09-26The ListPLST M19-1412015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
212022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4411997normalblackMelissa A. Benson
222022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1442015normalblackMelissa A. Benson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fire Elemental has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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