Fiery Impulse MTG Card

Magic Origins (ORI)
2015-07-17 - Number 145

Fiery Impulse - Explorer Anthology 2 (EA2)

Explorer Anthology 2 (EA2)
2022-12-13 - Number 13

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Spell mastery

Key Takeaways

Efficiently removes early-game threats, leading to indirect card advantage and preserved board state.
Tempo gains with its low mana cost, fits seamlessly into red-centric decks and strategies.
Spell mastery enhances damage output, making Fiery Impulse a flexible and potent spell.

Text of card

Fiery Impulse deals 2 damage to target creature. Spell mastery — If there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, Fiery Impulse deals 3 damage to that creature instead.

"Well, this got out of hand."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Fiery Impulse doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its ability to efficiently deal with creatures ensures that you’re effectively removing your opponent’s resources. By eliminating key threats, especially in the early stages of the game, you preserve your own creatures and spells, which can lead to indirect card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Fiery Impulse is a low-costing removal that helps maintain your tempo and can contribute to resource acceleration by allowing you to utilize mana more effectively. Since it costs only one red mana, you can deal with threats and still develop your board or hold additional mana for other spells.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Fiery Impulse provides you with the flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn. This can lead to more strategic play, forcing the opponent to commit to a line of play without knowing whether their creature will survive. It also enables you to surprise attackers and create favorable combat exchanges during the opponent’s turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Fiery Impulse is an instant card designed to deal damage to creatures. However, it does not entail a discard requirement, which means it can be a straightforward and resource-efficient option within red burn decks without hindering your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Fiery Impulse requires a single red mana to cast. This specificity means it can seamlessly fit into red-themed decks but might not be as versatile when building decks with a wider color palette, potentially limiting its application across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Fiery Impulse has a low and manageable mana cost, it’s important to evaluate its efficiency compared to other burn spells. With its spell mastery condition, there are situations where other cards of similar mana value could offer more immediate or unconditional damage, possibly making it a less optimal choice when curating a deck with tight mana curves or seeking maximum damage output per mana spent.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Fiery Impulse is an efficient removal spell that can be slotted into a variety of red deck strategies. It’s particularly effective in early game scenarios, where it can take out key creatures while conserving mana for further plays.

Combo Potential: With spell mastery, Fiery Impulse becomes a tool that not only disrupts your opponent’s board but also helps enable synergies in decks focusing on instants and sorceries, powering up other spell mastery effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that often sees dominant creature-based strategies, having a card like Fiery Impulse can tip the scales in your favor, making it a reliable inclusion against an ever-changing competitive landscape.

How to beat

Fiery Impulse is a popular instant spell that players regularly incorporate into their red decks. Its prowess lies in delivering direct damage to creatures, making it a staple for early game removal. This card thrives in a meta filled with small to medium-sized creatures, as it can easily eliminate key threats with its scalable damage output, especially when enhanced by spell mastery.

Overcoming Fiery Impulse requires strategic deck building and playstyle adjustments. Sheltering your creatures from its reach is crucial. Consider using creatures with toughness greater than 2 to withstand its base damage, or leverage instant-speed spells that can give your creatures a timely buff. Cards with hexproof or indestructible traits can also nullify the impact of Fiery Impulse, ensuring your critical assets remain on the board.

Timing is everything. Deploying creatures post-combat or after your opponent has tapped out can mitigate the risk of losing them to Fiery Impulse. By carefully orchestrating your moves and anticipating your opponent’s removal spells, you can preserve your creatures and sustain your board presence against the fiery onslaught.

Cards like Fiery Impulse

Fiery Impulse is an intriguing burn spell in Magic: The Gathering, holding its own within the pantheon of quick damage-dealing options. It invites comparison to cards like Lightning Strike, which also deals 3 damage but to any target and at the cost of two mana. Fiery Impulse differs by focusing on creatures alone and potentially costing less with the spell mastery advantage, if two or more instants and/or sorceries are in the grave.

Shock is another staple comparison point; a low-cost, efficient removal spell that deals 2 damage to any target. While Shock is versatile, Fiery Impulse has the potential to outpace it in creature removal scenarios given enough spells in the graveyard. Another kindred spell is Magma Spray, delivering an identical damage output with the added benefit of exiling the creature if it would die, preventing graveyard-based strategies from taking effect.

In essence, Fiery Impulse shines in decks heavy with instants and sorceries, offering a cost-effective creature control tool. Its edge over similar spells becomes more pronounced as you delve deeper into a game, capacity for removal increasing in step with the growing power of spell mastery.

Cards similar to Fiery Impulse by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fiery Impulse MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins and Explorer Anthology 2, 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 Fiery Impulse and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Fiery Impulse Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-07-17 and 2022-12-13. Illustrated by Daarken.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2015-07-17	Magic Origins	ORI		145	2015	Normal	Black	Daarken
2	2022-12-13	Explorer Anthology 2	EA2		13	2015	Normal	Black	Daarken

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fiery Impulse has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-06-22	Check to see if there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard as the spell resolves to determine whether the spell mastery ability applies. The spell itself won’t count because it’s still on the stack as you make this check.