Blazing Salvo MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers pseudo card advantage by forcing opponents into difficult choices, affecting their resources or life total.
  2. Instant speed allows disruptive play during opponents’ turns, adding flexibility to red strategies.
  3. Despite limitations, its potential impacts make it an intriguing card for specific MTG deck builds.

Text of card

Blazing Salvo deals 3 damage to target creature unless that creature's controller has Blazing Salvo deal 5 damage to him or her.

Barbarians equate courage with the ability to endure pain.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Blazing Salvo doesn’t allow direct card draw, it presents a choice to the opponent – potentially leading them to take damage or sacrifice a creature. This pseudo card advantage can diminish your opponent’s resources or life total, subtly tilting the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Though Blazing Salvo does not directly accelerate resources or mana, its low casting cost can lead to efficient use of mana, effectively keeping pace with the game and allowing you to deploy other strategies more swiftly.

Instant Speed: Blazing Salvo’s instant speed grants the flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn, forcing them to make difficult decisions at inopportune times. This can be particularly disruptive during key phases of their strategy, potentially saving your resources or damaging theirs at a critical moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Blazing Salvo doesn’t require you to discard a card, it puts the choice of damage or spell casting in your opponent’s hands, potentially disrupting your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Blazing Salvo requires a single red mana, which can be restrictive for multicolored decks or those with a heavy emphasis on other mana colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Blazing Salvo’s mana cost isn’t high, the damage dealt or the limitation it imposes on opponents may not always justify a slot in your deck when considering other direct damage spells available.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Blazing Salvo proves to be a flexible option for red decks, providing an efficient response to early creature threats. Its low mana cost integrates seamlessly with aggressive strategies while maintaining pressure on opponents.

Combo Potential: Blazing Salvo can be a linchpin in burn decks that aim to capitalize on damage-dealing synergies. It combines well with cards that trigger off of noncombat damage, bolstering your tactical plays.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based aggro decks are prevalent, Blazing Salvo is a highly relevant sideboard card. Its capacity to either remove small threats or deal substantial damage to your opponent makes it a valuable tool in shifting the tide of battle in your favor.


How to beat

Blazing Salvo presents a unique challenge to MTG players with its ability to inflict substantial damage unless a creature is sacrificed. The card’s mechanics can alter the battlefield dynamics significantly, making it crucial for opponents to devise effective strategies against it. To mitigate the impact of Blazing Salvo, one could consider maintaining a lineup of expendable creatures. Such creatures can be sacrificed without major loss to your board presence or strategy. Additionally, cards that can protect your creatures from being targeted or spells that can counter direct burn are invaluable against Blazing Salvo. Keep in mind that instant speed spells that can remove threats before Blazing Salvo resolves will also disrupt the anticipated damage or creature loss its caster aims for. Furthermore, having redundancies in your creature lineup ensures that sacrificing one won’t hamstring your overall game plan.

Ultimately, understanding the timing and being able to predict when your opponent may cast Blazing Salvo can turn the tide of the match. Strategic sacrifices, protective spells, and a robust creature base are the keys to dampening the Salvo’s blaze and securing your victory on the MTG battlefield.


Cards like Blazing Salvo

Blazing Salvo serves as an intriguing option within the suite of damage spells in Magic: The Gathering. Its comparison with other direct damage spells is quite noteworthy. When looking at Shock, a staple in red decks, we note that it offers a guaranteed 2 damage to any target for just one red mana. Blazing Salvo, on the other hand, poses a dilemma to the opponent – take 5 damage or allow a creature to be destroyed but at a higher cost of one additional red mana.

Another similar spell is Magma Jet, bringing not only 2 damage to the table but also the scry 2 ability, enhancing deck manipulation capabilities. Blazing Salvo lacks this strategic component, focusing solely on potential damage output. Furthermore, we have Flame Slash which does a hefty 4 damage to a creature for a single red mana, surpassing Blazing Salvo’s conditional destruction yet it lacks Blazing Salvo’s ability to directly target players.

Assessing these cards, we see that Blazing Salvo holds a unique position. While it may not provide the direct damage control of Shock or the deck manipulation of Magma Jet, its potential to inflict significant damage or influence opponents’ decisions carves its own niche in Magic: The Gathering gameplay.

Shock - MTG Card versions
Magma Jet - MTG Card versions
Flame Slash - MTG Card versions
Shock - Stronghold (STH)
Magma Jet - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Flame Slash - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Cards similar to Blazing Salvo by color, type and mana cost

False Orders - MTG Card versions
Chaoslace - MTG Card versions
Red Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Tunnel - MTG Card versions
Artifact Blast - MTG Card versions
Active Volcano - MTG Card versions
Shock - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Panic - MTG Card versions
Hearth Charm - MTG Card versions
Pyroblast - MTG Card versions
Shower of Sparks - MTG Card versions
Heat Ray - MTG Card versions
Overload - MTG Card versions
March of Reckless Joy - MTG Card versions
Burst Lightning - MTG Card versions
Fever Charm - MTG Card versions
Electrostatic Bolt - MTG Card versions
Unnatural Speed - MTG Card versions
Enrage - MTG Card versions
False Orders - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Chaoslace - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Red Elemental Blast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Tunnel - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Artifact Blast - Antiquities (ATQ)
Active Volcano - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Shock - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Lightning Bolt - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Panic - Ice Age (ICE)
Hearth Charm - Visions (VIS)
Pyroblast - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Shower of Sparks - Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)
Heat Ray - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Overload - Invasion (INV)
March of Reckless Joy - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Promos (PNEO)
Burst Lightning - Zendikar (ZEN)
Fever Charm - Onslaught (ONS)
Electrostatic Bolt - Mirrodin (MRD)
Unnatural Speed - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Enrage - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blazing Salvo MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt, 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 Blazing Salvo and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Blazing Salvo Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2013-03-15. Illustrated by rk post.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 1781997normalblackrk post
22013-03-15Duel Decks: Sorin vs. TibaltDDK 582003normalblackrk post

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blazing Salvo has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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