Inner-Flame Igniter MTG Card
2007-10-12 - Number 182
2015-05-22 - Number 120
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Elemental Warrior |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Inner-Flame Igniter offers card advantage and unexpected power spikes during combat, surprising your opponents.
- Its ability to boost creatures’ attack rapidly increases your tempo, potentially overwhelming adversaries.
- Despite its strengths, the Igniter’s need for precise mana and card discard can limit its play.
Text of card
: Creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn. If this is the third time this ability has resolved this turn, creatures you control gain first strike until end of turn.
A light an army can follow.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Inner-Flame Igniter provides players with a potential edge in card utility if not in number. This card’s prowess ability allows a boost in power, often catching opponents off-guard and leading to advantageous combat phases.
Resource Acceleration: This fiery creature can enable a rapid increase in your board presence with its repeatable ability to grant all your creatures +1 to their attack for the turn. This sort of tempo gain can accelerate your game plan and overwhelm opponents.
Instant Speed: While Inner-Flame Igniter operates at sorcery speed itself, its impact at bolstering your creatures’ power can make instant-speed spells in your deck particularly devastating. With increased power across the board, combat tricks, or removal spells used during combat can lead to devastating results, leveraging the Igniter’s effect for an opportune board swing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Inner-Flame Igniter can pump up its power, this ability is conditional on having a card to discard. This may not always be favourable, especially in late-game scenarios where each card in your hand is valuable.
Specific Mana Cost: Inner-Flame Igniter demands a precise mana arrangement to harness its abilities. Since it’s red, it fits primarily in mono-red or two-color decks, potentially narrowing its strategic applications.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to initially cast and subsequently use the prowess of Inner-Flame Igniter can add up. Other creatures or spells available in the metagame might provide more impact or versatility for the same, or even a lower, mana investment.
Reasons to Include Inner-Flame Igniter in Your Collection
Versatility: Inner-Flame Igniter offers a flexible role within numerous deck archetypes, fitting well into strategies that capitalize on creatures with multiple abilities. Its potential to grant first strike can be a game-changer in battle.
Combo Potential: This card can be a linchpin in combos, especially in decks that revolve around instant and sorcery spells to unlock prowess, amplifying its power with each noncreature spell cast.
Meta-Relevance: Given the current landscape of gameplay, Inner-Flame Igniter can prove to be particularly effective against decks that struggle against repeated first strike threats or in formats where small, efficient creatures are paramount.
How to beat Inner-Flame Igniter
Unpacking the tactics to counter the Inner-Flame Igniter can enhance your MTG gameplay. This card boasts a multi-kicker ability, allowing it to boost not just its own attack potential but that of other creatures as well. To effectively neutralize this ignition source, timely removal is key. Instant speed removal spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can dispatch the igniter before its flames are fanned. Alternatively, keeping up counterspells like Mana Leak when your opponent has enough mana for the kicker costs can snuff out the growing threat.
Playing around the igniter also involves strategic blocking decisions. Since its power increases only for one turn, setting up a defense with creatures that can survive the pumped up attack ensures that your opponent spends resources with limited impact. If Inner-Flame Igniter survives and its kicker is paid, efficient use of global damage spells like Pyroclasm can clear the board of it alongside any benefited creatures. It is a game of patience and smart resource management to extinguish the fiery advantages Inner-Flame Igniter brings to the table.
In essence, respecting the burst potential of Inner-Flame Igniter and proactively keeping your opponent’s board in check is vital for maintaining control. Adapt your strategy to counteract the temporary buffs and this card becomes far less daunting within the complex tapestry of MTG plays.
Cards like Inner-Flame Igniter
The Inner-Flame Igniter stands out in the array of red creature spells in Magic: The Gathering. Akin to other creatures like Firebrand Archer, it also resonates with a strategy that rewards players for casting multiple spells. The Inner-Flame Igniter’s unique multi-kicker ability allows for scaling firepower that can boost not only itself but also other creatures. Firebrand Archer, in contrast, uniquely deals damage with each noncreature spell you cast, offering consistent passive damage without the need for additional mana investment.
Another close relative in terms of gameplay is the Kiln Fiend. Much like the Inner-Flame Igniter, it benefits significantly from casting spells, receiving a substantial power boost for each spell cast during a turn. However, Kiln Fiend’s capability is limited to pumping its own power, lacking the versatility of affecting other creatures. Lastly, the comparison would be incomplete without mentioning the prowess-powered Abbot of Keral Keep. It rewards spell-slinging with increased power and offers card advantage. Yet, unlike Inner-Flame Igniter, it doesn’t provide the option to empower other warriors on the battlefield.
Comparing these creatures demonstrates the unique strength of Inner-Flame Igniter in MTG, especially in decks that capitalize on playing multiple spells and desire a potential army-wide power surge for a significant offensive push.
Cards similar to Inner-Flame Igniter by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Inner-Flame Igniter MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn and Modern Masters 2015, 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 Inner-Flame Igniter 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 Magic products
Printings
The Inner-Flame Igniter Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2007-10-12 and 2015-05-22. Illustrated by Scott Hampton.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-10-12 | Lorwyn | LRW | 182 | 2003 | normal | black | Scott Hampton | |
| 2 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 120 | 2015 | normal | black | Scott Hampton |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Inner-Flame Igniter has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Inner-Flame Igniter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-10-01 | Counts resolutions, not activations. Any such abilities that are still on the stack won’t count toward the total. |
| 2007-10-01 | When the ability resolves, it counts the number of times that same ability from that this creature has already resolved that turn. It doesn’t matter who controlled the creature or the previous abilities when they resolved. A copy of this ability (created by Rings of Brighthearth, for example) will count toward the total. Abilities from other creatures with the same name don’t count towards the total. Neither does an ability that’s been countered. |
| 2007-10-01 | You get the bonus only the third time the ability resolves. You won’t get the bonus the fourth, fifth, sixth, or any subsequent times. |
