Firebrand Ranger MTG Card


Firebrand Ranger - Invasion
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier Ranger
Released2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameInvasion
Set codeINV
Power 2
Toughness 1
Number143
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byQuinton Hoover

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage, allowing for more strategic options during play and maintaining game momentum.
  2. Enables resource acceleration, offering quicker access to high-cost spells or creatures, potentially gaining an upper hand.
  3. Acts at instant speed, offering flexibility to disrupt opponent strategies and increase turn efficiency.

Text of card

o G, oc T: Put a basic land card from your hand into play.

A skilled ranger can glance at the mud on your boots and tell where you last camped.


Card Pros

When evaluating the strengths of the Firebrand Ranger in your MTG lineup, consider how it strategically bolsters your gameplay. This card is appreciated for its ability to impact the battlefield in several key areas.

Card Advantage: This card excels in maintaining momentum by offering card advantage. Its ability may allow you to symbiotically maneuver through your deck, granting access to more options and responses as your match progresses. Having additional cards at your disposal can be a game-changing factor, especially in closely contested matches.

Resource Acceleration: Firebrand Ranger helps in resource acceleration, an invaluable asset in MTG. It empowers your mana pool swiftly, paving the way for deploying higher-cost spells or creatures ahead of schedule. This acceleration can tip the scales in your favor, providing an unexpected boost to outpace or overwhelm your adversary.

Instant Speed: The capability to act at instant speed awards you the flexibility to adapt to unfolding game scenarios. With Firebrand Ranger, you can exploit the timing of your play, disrupting your opponent’s strategies or maximizing your turn efficiency. Swift, responsive actions can preserve your defenses or enhance your attacks, keeping your opponents on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Firebrand Ranger requires players to discard a card to activate its ability. This can be a hindrance, particularly in situations where maintaining card advantage is crucial to your strategy or when your hand is nearly empty.

Specific Mana Cost: This card needs both red and generic mana to be cast, making it a less seamless fit in multicolored decks that might not consistently produce the required mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although Firebrand Ranger provides a valuable service by potentially circumventing mana restrictions, its casting cost can be deemed steep compared to other options in the two or three mana range that offer similar or greater utility without the accompanying discard condition.


Reasons to Include Firebrand Ranger in Your Collection

Versatility: Firebrand Ranger boasts a flexible design that makes it a solid addition to numerous Red archetype decks, particularly those requiring a reliable mana fixer or an early creature presence on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: As a creature that can untap your lands, Firebrand Ranger provides synergy with cards that capitalize on untapping mechanics or need additional mana during both your turn and your opponents’.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where speed is essential, and the tempo is the name of the game, Firebrand Ranger can be particularly effective. Whether shifting the tide early on or enabling key plays, its role in the meta cannot be ignored.


How to beat

Overcoming the challenge posed by Firebrand Ranger in the MTG arena requires strategic thinking. This nimble creature is known for its ability to duck in and out of combat, while also creating advantageous conditions for its controller by enabling land-based abilities. To effectively counteract this card, players should focus on utilizing removal spells that can target creatures. Spelling Firebrand Ranger out of the game before its abilities can be activated is key.

Another tactic is employing blockers with sufficient toughness to survive its attack. As a card that thrives on repeated use of its abilities, denying it the chance to exert its influence during the combat phase can tip the scales. Lastly, board wipes can reset the playing field, nullifying the incremental advantage Firebrand Ranger provides. By prioritizing its removal or negating its combat effectiveness, players can mitigate the impact of Firebrand Ranger, maintaining control of the game.

Remember, staying one step ahead of your opponent’s strategy and maintaining board control are your best defenses against the agile Firebrand Ranger in MTG.


Cards like Firebrand Ranger

Firebrand Ranger injects agility into red mana decks in MTG, mirroring the utility of green creatures designed to ramp up mana. Its kinship is closest to cards like Sakura-Tribe Scout, known for its capacity to put lands onto the battlefield. Nevertheless, Firebrand Ranger allows placing the land during the attack phase, which can catch opponents off-guard and provide strategic advantage.

Another related unit is the Llanowar Scout, sharing the commonality of land deployment but with the flexibility of activating it at any time on your turn. This provides a steady pace of play, compared to the surprise element of Firebrand Ranger. Skyshroud Ranger falls into the same category, yet it is restricted to basic lands only, constraining its utility somewhat compared to the Ranger’s broader land playability.

Ultimately, Firebrand Ranger offers red deck players a unique twist on land acceleration, a trait typically reserved for green decks. It holds its own among similar cards, bringing versatility and strategic depth to red’s fast-paced playstyle.

Sakura-Tribe Scout - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Scout - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Ranger - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Scout - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Llanowar Scout - Dominaria (DOM)
Skyshroud Ranger - Tempest (TMP)

Cards similar to Firebrand Ranger by color, type and mana cost

Spined Sliver - MTG Card versions
Yavimaya Barbarian - MTG Card versions
Gallia of the Endless Dance - MTG Card versions
Vexing Shusher - MTG Card versions
Gruul Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Tin Street Hooligan - MTG Card versions
Scab-Clan Mauler - MTG Card versions
Tattermunge Witch - MTG Card versions
Apocalypse Hydra - MTG Card versions
Nacatl Outlander - MTG Card versions
Rip-Clan Crasher - MTG Card versions
Flinthoof Boar - MTG Card versions
Skarrg Guildmage - MTG Card versions
Disciple of the Old Ways - MTG Card versions
Burning-Tree Emissary - MTG Card versions
Zhur-Taa Druid - MTG Card versions
Satyr Hedonist - MTG Card versions
Voltaic Brawler - MTG Card versions
Gravel-Hide Goblin - MTG Card versions
Savageborn Hydra - MTG Card versions
Spined Sliver - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Yavimaya Barbarian - The List (PLST)
Gallia of the Endless Dance - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)
Vexing Shusher - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Gruul Guildmage - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Tin Street Hooligan - Guildpact (GPT)
Scab-Clan Mauler - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Tattermunge Witch - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Apocalypse Hydra - Battlebond (BBD)
Nacatl Outlander - Conflux (CON)
Rip-Clan Crasher - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Flinthoof Boar - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Skarrg Guildmage - Gatecrash (GTC)
Disciple of the Old Ways - Gatecrash (GTC)
Burning-Tree Emissary - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Zhur-Taa Druid - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Satyr Hedonist - Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)
Voltaic Brawler - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Gravel-Hide Goblin - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Savageborn Hydra - Double Masters (2XM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Firebrand Ranger MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Firebrand Ranger and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Firebrand Ranger has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Firebrand Ranger 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 This does not count as your one land you can normally play each turn.
2007-05-01 Putting the card onto the battlefield is optional. When the ability resolves, you can choose not to.

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