Smoldering Tar MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	275
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Day

Key Takeaways

Smoldering Tar offers card advantage and flexible instant-speed play, enhancing board control tactics.
It demands specific mana combinations, posing potential deck-building restrictions and cost considerations.
Versatile and meta-relevant, Smoldering Tar counters creature-heavy decks and can shape late-game dynamics.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, target player loses 1 life. Sacrifice Smoldering Tar: Smoldering Tar deals 4 damage to target creature. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Smoldering Tar gradually chips away at your opponent’s creatures, reducing their board presence while ensuring that you maintain a position of strength. This persistent threat can result in valuable card advantage as it forces opponents to deal with it or slowly lose their creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While Smoldering Tar does not directly accelerate your resource pool, its existence on the battlefield applies pressure, possibly skewing the opponent’s resource allocation as they might need to spend mana on removing the enchantment instead of developing their own game plan.

Instant Speed: One of the key abilities of Smoldering Tar is it can be turned into a creature at instant speed. This gives you the flexibility to choose the most opportune moment to launch an attack or block an incoming threat, which can be a game-changing move in many scenarios.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Smoldering Tar requires a player to discard a card, which could be a tactical setback when hand resources are already dwindling. This effect can leave players at a disadvantage, particularly in formats where maintaining card advantage is critical.

Specific Mana Cost: The Smoldering Tar card necessitates a precise combination of mana, including both black and red. This specific requirement can lead to complications in mana fixing and may deter inclusion in multi-colored decks that don’t align with these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an activation cost that is substantial, Smoldering Tar’s overall mana investment can be quite steep compared to other options. Players might find that for four mana, there are alternative cards that could perform similar functions without the additional burden of a hefty mana cost and discard conditions.

Reasons to Include Smoldering Tar in Your Collection

Versatility: Smoldering Tar offers flexible options for players, as it can act as a persistent field control method against creature-heavy strategies. Its ability to slowly whittle down an opponent’s creatures makes it a constant threat on the board.

Combo Potential: This card has synergy with strategies that capitalize on opponent’s creatures dying. Additionally, its final ability to convert into a creature can surprise opponents and work as a late-game finisher in decks that manipulate graveyard resources.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that is densely populated with creature-based decks, Smoldering Tar serves as an effective tool to maintain board control. Its presence can shift opponent’s tactics and create favorable situations for decks that aim to dominate the late game.

How to beat

Smoldering Tar presents a multifaceted challenge to players in Magic: The Gathering. As an enchantment, it patiently waits on the battlefield, threatening to whittle down creatures and eventually provide its controller with a formidable resource conversion. The key to overcoming Smoldering Tar lies in its removal before it starts to overhaul the game’s state. Here’s where spells that specifically target enchantments come into play. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can dispatch Smoldering Tar before it has the opportunity to erode your board.

Another strategy revolves around preventing Smoldering Tar from accumulating the mana it needs to activate its abilities. This can involve hindering the opponent’s mana generation or maintaining a rapid pace of play to outmaneuver the encroaching Tar-activated attrition. Using cards that can counteract the Tar’s controller actions like Mana Leak or Thoughtseize can further disrupt their plans, leaving Smoldering Tar as nothing more than a dormant threat on the battlefield.

With thoughtful planning and prompt responses, players can navigate the danger posed by Smoldering Tar. Whether through direct removal or cleverly orchestrated gameplay, striking swiftly and decisively is the surest way to prevent its smoldering malice from taking hold.

Cards like Smoldering Tar

In discussing unique MTG cards, Smoldering Tar emerges as an intriguing enchantment option. Its parallels can be drawn with the likes of Rancid Earth which similarly offers both targeted area denial and a direct route to deplete an opponent’s life total. Although Rancid Earth is limited to destroying nonbasic lands and a potential mass creature wipe, Smoldering Tar adds a gradual damage aspect to its control features, chipping away at the opponent’s health each turn.

Another card to consider is Pestilence. This classic enchantment shares the ability to deal damage to each creature and each player, granting controllers the power to influence the state of the board significantly. However, the permanence of Smoldering Tar stands out, remaining on the field without the strict condition of having a creature on the board, as Pestilence demands. Curse of the Pierced Heart might also seem related with its consistent damage to opponents but lacks the versatility of affecting the board presence that Smoldering Tar possesses.

To sum up, Smoldering Tar holds its own in the world of MTG by offering persistent damage and operational flexibility that closely related cards simply can’t match. Its capacity to apply pressure and control makes it a noteworthy option for players crafting a strategy around attrition and gradual victory.

Curse of the Pierced Heart - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Smoldering Tar by color, type and mana cost

Mogis, God of Slaughter - MTG Card versions

Kardur's Vicious Return - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Smoldering Tar 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 Smoldering Tar and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Smoldering Tar has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2013-04-15	If you cast this as normal during your main phase, it will enter the battlefield and you’ll receive priority. If no abilities trigger because of this, you can activate its ability immediately, before any other player has a chance to remove it from the battlefield.