Wrap in Flames MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Targets multiple creatures, potentially changing the tide of combat and setting up advantageous attacks.
  2. Red-exclusive and costly, may limit flexibility and compete with other impactful four-mana spells.
  3. Wraps in non-blocking condition, useful against weenie decks or as part of burn-focused strategies.

Text of card

Wrap in Flames deals 1 damage to each of up to three target creatures. Those creatures can't block this turn.

"Our pyromancer's flames may not have killed them, but they bought us the time we needed." —*The War Diaries*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wrap in Flames allows you to target multiple creatures, potentially dealing damage to several opponents’ blockers in one go. This capability can lead to gaining significant card advantage as you systematically dismantle their defenses, making future attacks more effective.

Resource Acceleration: While Wrap in Flames might not directly accelerate resources, it can clear the way for your creatures to connect with your opponent, potentially triggering abilities or effects that lead to an increase in resources or card draw, indirectly accelerating your position in the game.

Instant Speed: Although Wrap in Flames is cast at sorcery speed, its effect can set the stage for your instant-speed interactions. By weakening multiple blockers, you create a scenario where your instants can be more impactful, removing threats that were previously out of range due to their higher toughness.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Wrap in Flames requires a combination of three red mana to cast, which makes it exclusively viable in red or red-heavy decks, thus limiting its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including the three red, Wrap in Flames comes at a price point where players expect substantial impact on the game. Considering other spells available at this cost, the card may not always represent the best value for the mana investment.

Discard Requirement: Although Wrap in Flames doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it is worth noting for players that its inclusion in a deck can sometimes act similarly to a discard due to its situational usefulness, essentially taking up a card slot that could otherwise hold a more consistently impactful spell.


Reasons to Include Wrap in Flames in Your Collection

Versatility: Wrap in Flames is a flexible card that can be included in a wide array of decks, particularly those focused on aggressive strategies aiming to spread damage across multiple creatures.

Combo Potential: This card has the potential to be part of combos that capitalize on nonlethal damage, acting as a catalyst for effects that trigger when creatures are dealt damage, thus enhancing certain burn or aggro-based synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to affect multiple targets, Wrap in Flames can be a strategic component in a meta where token creatures or weenie decks are prevalent, as it allows the player to potentially clear several blockers in one sweep.


How to Beat Wrap in Flames

Wrap in Flames is one of those spells that can seem daunting due to its potential for board impact in Magic: The Gathering. It’s known for its ability to reach multiple creatures, reducing their combat effectiveness while also dealing damage. To counter this red sorcery, savvy players employ a few strategies. Keeping up mana for instant-speed removals or protection spells allows you to respond effectively when Wrap in Flames is cast. Additionally, creatures with toughness higher than 1 are less affected by its damage, making them robust choices against this spell. It’s vital to maintain a diverse creature board state, so the burn is less detrimental.Another approach is using counterspells to prevent Wrap in Flames from resolving. In gameplay, cards with such abilities as Flash can provide surprises on the battlefield and interrupt your opponent’s strategy. Be cautious of the moment you choose to play your creatures, and consider the mana your opponent has available—playing into a full set of open red mana could mean walking right into a Wrap in Flames trap. Ultimately, understanding both the tempo of your deck and anticipating the timing of your opponent’s spells are crucial in gaining the advantage against this fiery tactic.


Cards like Wrap in Flames

Wrap in Flames stands out in Magic: The Gathering’s roster as a spell capable of reaching multiple targets simultaneously. This card bears similarities to other multitarget cards such as Arc Lightning, which also delivers damage to more than one creature or player. However, Wrap in Flames offers a unique twist by allowing you to target up to three creatures and reduce their combat effectiveness, preventing them from blocking.

Electrickery is another card to consider alongside Wrap in Flames. It excels in clearing away multiple low-powered creatures at once, essentially at a cheaper mana cost, albeit at the sacrifice of Wrap in Flames’s higher potential damage output and reach. Forked Bolt also enters the discussion, providing flexible distribution of damage that can be concentrated on a single target or split, albeit capped at two targets at most, unlike Wrap in Flames’s three.

Overall, when evaluating the strategic benefits of multitarget damage spells within MTG, Wrap in Flames finds its place with its unique non-blocking condition and the potential to shape the battlefield, despite alternatives with varied cost and effect nuances.

Arc Lightning - MTG Card versions
Electrickery - MTG Card versions
Forked Bolt - MTG Card versions
Arc Lightning - Urza's Saga (USG)
Electrickery - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Forked Bolt - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wrap in Flames MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Conspiracy, 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 Wrap in Flames and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wrap in Flames Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 1732003normalblackVéronique Meignaud
22014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 1582003normalblackVéronique Meignaud
32015-05-22Modern Masters 2015MM2 1362015normalblackVéronique Meignaud
42018-06-08BattlebondBBD 1882015normalblackVéronique Meignaud
52020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 1642015normalblackKari Christensen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wrap in Flames has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-01-24 If any of the targeted creatures is an illegal target by the time Wrap in Flames resolves, it won’t be dealt damage and will be able to block. The other targeted creatures will still be affected.
2020-01-24 The “can’t block” effect applies to each of the targeted creatures—and to only those creatures—even if Wrap in Flames deals no damage to one or more of them (due to a prevention effect, for example) or if Wrap in Flames deals damage to a different creature (due to a redirection effect).

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