Chandra's Spitfire MTG Card
2010-07-16 - Number 129
2019-07-12 - Number 132
2022-12-02 - Number 515
1995-01-02 - Number 19
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elemental |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- The Spitfire can quickly become a massive threat, offering more board presence and forcing opponents to respond.
- Demands precise mana and hand management, which can constraint deck building choices and in-game decisions.
- Highly effective in red decks, its flying ability makes it a recurring asset in aggressive game strategies.
Text of card
Flying Whenever an opponent is dealt noncombat damage, Chandra's Spitfire gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
"I've lit most everything on fire—trees, rocks, even the water. Now it's time to burn the clouds."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chandra’s Spitfire can potentially deliver massive damage in a single turn, giving players who wield it a distinct edge. Though it doesn’t draw cards directly, the Spitfire often demands an answer from opponents, indirectly leading to card advantage when they’re forced to use up resources to deal with it.
Resource Acceleration: While Chandra’s Spitfire itself doesn’t provide resource acceleration, its low mana cost allows for early play. It synergizes well with decks aiming to cast multiple noncreature spells to boost its power quickly, effectively accelerating the threat level on the board at an impressive rate.
Instant Speed: Chandra’s Spitfire benefits from instant speed spells that trigger its ability outside of the normal combat phase. This allows for strategic combat tricks that can significantly increase its power, catching opponents off guard and often securing an advantageous position in the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Chandra’s Spitfire demands strategic hand management, as leveraging its full potential often relies on other cards that make you discard. This can be a setback when cards in hand are low in supply or if the discarded cards are crucial to your game strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Charging the battlefield with this creature requires a precise blend of mana, including red. This specificity restricts the card mainly to mono-red or red-centric decks, potentially limiting its versatility in a multicolored deck environment.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that some might consider steep for a 1/3 creature, Chandra’s Spitfire may not always be the most cost-effective option available. Players might find themselves weighing its benefits against other creatures or spells that could offer a more immediate impact on the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Chandra’s Spitfire offers a flexibile role in any red deck that leverages noncombat damage. Flying as a keyword allows it to evade many common blockers, ensuring it reaches the opponent more frequently.
Combo Potential: This card thrives when combined with cards that deal damage to each opponent, igniting its power-boosting ability. Decks featuring burn spells or cards like “Chandra’s Pyrohelix” can turn Chandra’s Spitfire into a formidable threat.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive red decks are common, Chandra’s Spitfire can become an essential tool for securing swift victories, especially against opponents who may underestimate its exponential damage growth potential.
How to beat
Chandra’s Spitfire is a notorious creature card in Magic: The Gathering, garnering attention for its potential to deal significant damage in conjunction with red instant and sorcery spells that deal damage to opponents. This card often becomes the centerpiece of red decks that are designed to burn opponents down quickly. However, there are reliable strategies to handle this aerial threat effectively.
One effective method is to utilize removal spells that target creatures. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can dispatch Chandra’s Spitfire before it becomes too powerful. Similarly, countering the card upon cast with spells like Cancel or Mana Leak prevents it from entering the battlefield in the first place, completely neutralizing the threat. Another approach is to utilize creatures with reach or flying to block and eliminate the Spitfire in combat, thus safeguarding your life total.
Moreover, preventing damage can also be key. Cards that prevent non-combat damage, such as The Wanderer, can nullify the Spitfire’s strength. By understanding and employing these tactics, players can mitigate the explosive impact of Chandra’s Spitfire and maintain control over the game.
Cards like Chandra's Spitfire
Chandra’s Spitfire carves its niche as a formidable flying creature in Magic: The Gathering. It stands shoulder to shoulder with creatures like Thermo-Alchemist for its potential to cause a significant amount of damage following instances of noncombat damage to your opponents. Yet, Chandra’s Spitfire comes with the advantage of flight, enabling it to evade many blockers that could stymie grounded threats like Thermo-Alchemist.
Another comparable card is Guttersnipe, which delivers damage to each opponent whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell. While it doesn’t benefit from the power boost that Chandra’s Spitfire receives, Guttersnipe can consistently deal damage without the reliance on the combat phase. The recurring direct damage mechanism of Guttersnipe contrasts with the Spitfire’s growing threat as you chain noncombat damage sources in a single turn.
Furthermore, Firebrand Archer offers a similar approach to Chandra’s Spitfire, damaging opponents with each noncreature spell cast. Although Firebrand Archer is less defensive in structure compared to the Spitfire’s higher toughness, it provides a more immediate impact from your spells without the waiting period for the Spitfire’s triggered ability to build up.
Evaluating these comparisons shows that Chandra’s Spitfire holds a unique position among its peers for its amplifying damage abilities in creature-focused strategies within Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Chandra's Spitfire by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chandra's Spitfire MTG card by a specific set like Media Inserts and Magic 2011, 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 Chandra's Spitfire and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Chandra's Spitfire Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2010-07-16 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media Inserts | PMEI | 19 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Justin Sweet | ||
| 2 | 2010-07-16 | Magic 2011 | M11 | 129 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Justin Sweet | |
| 3 | 2019-07-12 | Core Set 2020 | M20 | 132 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rallis | |
| 4 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 515 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rallis |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chandra's Spitfire has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chandra's Spitfire card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-07-12 | Combat damage is the damage that’s dealt automatically by attacking and blocking creatures. Any other damage is noncombat damage, even if it’s dealt during a combat phase by an attacking or blocking creature. |
| 2019-07-12 | In a multiplayer game, if a source deals damage to multiple opponents at the same time, the last ability of Chandra’s Spitfire will trigger as many times as there are opponents who were dealt damage. |
| 2019-07-12 | The last ability of Chandra’s Spitfire triggers just once for each event in which an opponent is dealt noncombat damage, regardless of how much damage that player is dealt. |
