Firebolt MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 10 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Flashback

Key Takeaways

  1. Firebolt offers value by being usable twice, enhancing your play options significantly.
  2. The ability to cast Firebolt during any turn adds a layer of strategy and surprise.
  3. Although versatile, Firebolt’s utility may be constrained in decks with diverse mana needs.

Text of card

Firebolt deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Flashback o4o R (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

Reach out and torch someone.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Firebolt offers a double-play opportunity thanks to its flashback ability. Initially cast from your hand, the card can be played a second time from your graveyard, providing you with an additional resource from a single card.

Resource Acceleration: Despite Firebolt not directly accelerating resources in the traditional sense of mana generation, it does promote a faster gameplay by efficiently removing early-game creatures. This action can maintain or increase your tempo, an indirect form of resource acceleration.

Instant Speed: While Firebolt is cast at sorcery speed, its strength is not diminished. Its ability to be cast from the graveyard at mere instant speed can catch an opponent off guard, disrupting their strategies during their turn with well-timed removal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Firebolt’s flashback capability, while a flexible feature, necessitates the discard of a card. This can be a hindrance during gameplay, especially in situations where maintaining a full hand is crucial to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Being a red spell, Firebolt requires red mana to cast. This may not align well with decks that run on a diverse mana base or those that have a minor red component, limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Firebolt’s initial casting cost is relatively low. However, its flashback cost may be seen as steep, considering that there are alternative spells available that can deal similar or more damage for the same or less mana investment.


Reasons to Include Firebolt in Your Collection

Versatility: Firebolt is a card that can be used in a variety of decks, enabling both early-game removal and late-game value through its flashback ability. It is flexible enough to be relevant at various stages of the game.

Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies that take advantage of spells in the graveyard. The ability to cast it from the graveyard gives players an edge by effectively doubling its usage and synergizing with spells-matter decks.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where small creatures or utility creatures dominate, Firebolt offers an efficient solution to keep the board clear. Its presence in your collection ensures you have an answer to aggressive starts by opponents, remaining relevant across various meta shifts.


How to beat

The Firebolt card casts its presence across the battlefield with its ability to deal direct damage, making it a staple in many burn strategies. Its low-cost damage output and flashback capability give it a level of persistence and utility that can be troublesome to opponents.

To effectively counter Firebolt, consider including cards that grant you life. Cards like Feed the Clan or Rest for the Weary can negate the damage dealt by Firebolt and similar burn cards, providing you with a buffer and the chance to stabilize your board. Also, leveraging counterspells such as Negate or Counterspell can stop Firebolt before it impacts the battlefield, nullifying the threat it poses entirely. Reflect on the meta of your game, and if direct damage spells are prevalent, incorporating these defensive strategies will enhance your resilience against such aggressive tactics.

Understanding the mechanics of Firebolt and preparing your deck with countermeasures will position you favorably during matches. Recognizing when to absorb the damage and when to counter will be crucial in navigating your way to victory against an opponent relying on this efficient damage dealer.


Cards like Firebolt

Firebolt stands as a unique option among direct damage spells in MTG’s vast arsenal. It shares some similarities with Lightning Bolt, one of the most iconic spells that deals three damage to any target for a single red mana. While not as potent in its initial cast, Firebolt offers flexibility with its flashback ability, allowing a second use from the graveyard. This feature is absent in Lightning Bolt, giving Firebolt an edge in games that draw out over several turns.

Considering Shock, another staple in the red spell lineup, we see that it delivers an instant two damage for one red mana without the additional utility Firebolt presents. On the other hand, Flames of the Firebrand is a spell with a broader reach, distributing three damage as players choose among up to three targets, although it lacks the recycle potential that the flashback mechanic grants Firebolt.

Hence, Firebolt holds a favorable position in the realm of red spells in Magic: The Gathering. It strategically balances immediate impact with late-game staying power, offering versatility that can sway the momentum of a match when used thoughtfully.

Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Shock - MTG Card versions
Flames of the Firebrand - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Shock - Stronghold (STH)
Flames of the Firebrand - Magic 2013 (M13)

Cards similar to Firebolt by color, type and mana cost

Disintegrate - MTG Card versions
Fireball - MTG Card versions
Earthquake - MTG Card versions
Mana Clash - MTG Card versions
Detonate - MTG Card versions
Winds of Change - MTG Card versions
Gamble - MTG Card versions
Meltdown - MTG Card versions
Goblin Grenade - MTG Card versions
Tremor - MTG Card versions
Ghitu Fire - MTG Card versions
Tahngarth's Glare - MTG Card versions
Lava Burst - MTG Card versions
Overmaster - MTG Card versions
Devil's Play - MTG Card versions
Blaze - MTG Card versions
Crack the Earth - MTG Card versions
Meteor Shower - MTG Card versions
Burning Inquiry - MTG Card versions
Devastating Summons - MTG Card versions
Disintegrate - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Fireball - The List (PLST)
Earthquake - Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC)
Mana Clash - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Detonate - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Winds of Change - Masters Edition (ME1)
Gamble - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Meltdown - Urza's Saga (USG)
Goblin Grenade - Arena New Player Experience Extras (XANA)
Tremor - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Ghitu Fire - Invasion (INV)
Tahngarth's Glare - Apocalypse (APC)
Lava Burst - Deckmasters (DKM)
Overmaster - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Devil's Play - Shadows of the Past (SIS)
Blaze - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Crack the Earth - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Meteor Shower - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Burning Inquiry - Magic 2010 (M10)
Devastating Summons - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Firebolt MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey and Magic Online Promos, 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 Firebolt and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Firebolt Magic the Gathering card was released in 10 different sets between 2001-10-01 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12001-10-01OdysseyODY 1931997normalblackRon Spencer
22002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 314692003normalblackRon Spencer
32008-11-07Duel Decks: Jace vs. ChandraDD2 492003normalblackRon Spencer
42014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. ChandraJVC 492015normalblackRon Spencer
52016-06-10Eternal MastersEMA 1302015normalblackChris Rallis
62017-03-31Duel Decks: Mind vs. MightDDS 372015normalblackChris Rallis
72019-06-14Modern HorizonsMH1 1222015normalblackChris Rallis
82019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 9272015normalblackChris Rallis
92020-09-26The ListPLST DDS-372015normalblackChris Rallis
102022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 5322015normalblackChris Rallis

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Firebolt has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
2021-03-19 If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it’s legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
2021-03-19 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
2021-03-19 You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
2021-03-19 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card’s type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
2021-03-19Flashback
-ost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying
-ost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”

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