Flame Elemental MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elemental
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	175
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Richard Kane Ferguson

Key Takeaways

Flame Elemental generates card advantage and can unexpectedly bolster your hand during battle.
While offering mana acceleration, its strict red mana cost can limit deck diversity.
Flame Elemental is versatile, fitting into aggressive strategies with great combo potential.

Text of card

o R, oc T, Sacrifice Flame Elemental: Flame Elemental deals an amount of damage equal to its power to target creature.

Storyteller: By my hand in the fire, this story is a tale of power. Listeners: May it give you strength.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Flame Elemental card can be a significant source of card advantage with abilities that potentially draw you additional cards when dealing combat damage to an opponent or when certain conditions are fulfilled, keeping your hand full and options open.

Resource Acceleration: Some versions of Flame Elemental provide mana acceleration by untapping lands or by creating tokens that can be sacrificed for red mana, fueling your most impactful spells ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: Certain Flame Elemental cards can be cast at instant speed, allowing you to surprise your opponents with sudden board presence or capitalize on the perfect timing to make a game-changing play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Including a Flame Elemental in your deck could be challenging when it requires you to discard another card to unleash its full potential. This discard can hinder your hand if you’re not well-prepared or are trying to maintain card advantage over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Flame Elemental often comes with a rigid red mana cost, restricting its integration to a red-heavy or mono-red deck. Players utilizing a multicolor strategy might find the mana requirements limiting when they are competing for resources with other spells in their hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for a Flame Elemental can be steep given its abilities. When you compare it to other creatures in the same mana range, you might realize that there are alternatives that could provide a better cost-to-impact ratio, especially in aggressive strategies where efficiency is key.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Flame Elemental fits seamlessly into many deck builds, particularly those that capitalize on aggressive play and damage-dealing strategies. Its nature allows it to be a staple in both mono-red and multicolored decks craving that fiery punch.

Combo Potential: With the inherent ability to synergize with cards that boost Elementals or benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield, Flame Elemental has substantial combo potential, making it a must-have for players looking to ignite powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: The presence of Flame Elemental in a deck can adapt to and challenge the changing meta, especially if tactics pivot towards decks with creatures that can deal direct damage and alter the tempo of the game.

How to beat

Confronting a Flame Elemental in MTG can feel daunting given its potential for rampaging through defenses with its blazing assault. As a rule of thumb, it’s always smart to keep removal spells handy. A well-timed Lightning Strike or Doom Blade might be just the trick to snuff out the elemental’s fire and preserve your life total. Cards that grant -1/-1 counters can also be effective, such as Grasp of Darkness, gradually undermining the creature’s strength.

Furthermore, consider playing defensively. Since Elementals often lack protection abilities, enchantments like Pacifism can easily neutralize them without triggering any on-death effects they may have. Similarly, using instant-speed spells during your opponent’s turn can interrupt their aggressive playstyle and tilt the duel in your favor. If you’re in for the long game, countering with life gain strategies or field wipes can erase their advantage and leave your adversary scrambling. Outpacing Flame Elemental with larger, more robust creatures can also prove to be an effective strategy.

Ultimately, an understanding of your deck’s capabilities and the timing of your responses will be vital when dealing with the threat of a Flame Elemental. And with a well-rounded tactic, you’ll be able to extinguish its threat and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Flame Elemental

The allure of Flame Elemental in the world of Magic: The Gathering is its embodiment of raw power and simplicity. Its kinship is found in elemental cards such as Ball Lightning, a classic embodiment of the haste and trample mechanics but with a fleeting presence on the battlefield. Flame Elemental, though lacking trample, offers a more enduring threat. This distinction makes it a reliable choice for players seeking sustained board impact over explosive, one-off damage.

Scorching Fire Elemental provides another point of comparison with its straightforward, yet mana-costly attack prowess. Though both are designed to deliver heavy blows, Flame Elemental’s lower casting cost enables a swifter deployment, crucial for aggressive red decks. Conversely, the Scorching Fire Elemental comes with a heftier damage potential, a trade-off that adds strategic thickness to deck building decisions.

Delving into these comparisons enriches our understanding of Flame Elemental’s place in decks oriented towards red’s aggressive play style. It underscores the versatility and varied strategies players can adopt, even within a specific subset of elemental creatures. Whether you prioritize cost-efficiency or maximum damage output, Flame Elemental offers a solid foundation in creature-based MTG strategies.

Cards similar to Flame Elemental by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flame Elemental MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Flame Elemental and other MTG cards: