Searing Blood MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Searing Blood doubles as removal and direct damage for strategic board control.
  2. Its instant speed adds a layer of unpredictability during opponent’s turns.
  3. While mana-specific, it’s a tactical inclusion in red-centric decks.

Text of card

Searing Blood deals 2 damage to target creature. When that creature dies this turn, Searing Blood deals 3 damage to the creature's controller.

Purphoros's blessing: sometimes a boon, sometimes a bane. Always ablaze.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Searing Blood presents a unique form of card advantage by effectively dealing with small creatures. Destroying a creature while also dealing damage to its controller can equate to a two-for-one situation, giving you an upper hand in both board and life total.

Resource Acceleration: While Searing Blood doesn’t directly provide mana or treasure tokens, the card acts as a resource accelerator by clearing the path for your own creatures to attack. By removing blockers, this card could potentially increase the speed of the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: As Searing Blood is a powerful instant, this allows the caster flexibility and unpredictability. You can cast it during your opponent’s turn, thus keeping your mana options open and making it difficult for your opponent to anticipate and plan for their moves. This strategic edge can be pivotal in fast-paced, aggressive strategies.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Searing Blood is locked into a specific mana requirement, necessitating two red mana to cast. This can restrict its inclusion to decks that run heavily on red mana, potentially limiting its versatility in multi-color deck strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two red mana, Searing Blood may be considered costly for the effect it offers – dealing 2 damage to a creature and 3 damage to that creature’s controller if it dies this turn. Alternative burn spells might serve the same purpose with a lower mana investment or provide additional benefits.

Discard Requirement: While Searing Blood itself does not require a discard, its specific and somewhat high mana cost can pressure players to discard other cards in favor of keeping mana open for its casting. This can be particularly challenging in the early game, where resource management is crucial, and every card in hand represents a potential strategic move.


Reasons to Include Searing Blood in Your Collection

Versatility: Searing Blood is a card that can be easily slotted into multiple red deck archetypes. Whether it be an aggressive burn deck or a more controlling red setup, its ability to deal damage directly to both creatures and players makes it a useful addition to any collection.

Combo Potential: When paired with effects that increase damage, Searing Blood can become a formidable force. It works exceptionally well in strategies that aim to quickly diminish an opponent’s life total or clear the way by dealing with small to medium-sized creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based strategies often dominate, Searing Blood holds a valuable place. Its capacity to remove key threats while also chipping away at an opponent’s life total keeps it relevant, particularly in metas where low-cost creatures are prevalent.


How to beat

Searing Blood is a spell that serves as a powerful tool in any red deck’s arsenal in Magic: The Gathering. Designed to deal damage to both creatures and the opponent, it can quickly turn the tide of a game. The key to overcoming this card lies in tactical plays and strategic deck building. Prioritizing creature protection with spells that grant indestructibility or utilizing creatures that bounce back to your hand can mitigate the damage. Additionally, instant-speed healing effects can offset the life loss and save crucial creatures from demise. It’s also beneficial to hold creatures with toughness greater than 2 in your hand until after Searing Blood has been played, minimizing potential targets. Finally, keeping countermagic at the ready to counter Searing Blood can prevent it from affecting the battlefield altogether. By understanding the impact of this potent burn spell and preparing accordingly, players can effectively navigate the threat it poses and maintain control of the game.


Cards like Searing Blood

Searing Blood holds a distinctive spot among the red damage spells in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often compared with other red staples like Searing Blaze that share the direct damage plus conditional bonus damage formula. Searing Blood differs by dealing its additional damage specifically to the creature’s controller, whereas Searing Blaze can target a player or planeswalker provided you’ve played a land that turn.

Lightning Bolt is yet another related card due to its classic efficiency in dealing direct damage. While Lightning Bolt provides instant speed flexibility for a single mana, Searing Blood offers potential to deal more total damage distributed between creature and opponent under the right circumstances. Meanwhile, Skullcrack is a different take, preventing life gain and guaranteeing damage to a player, bypassing potential creature targets entirely.

Considering these alternatives, while each card has its merits based on context, Searing Blood remains a favorable option for those seeking to punish creatures as well as their owners within the same action, making it a tactical choice in specific MTG deck strategies focusing on aggressive and reactive playstyles.

Searing Blaze - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Skullcrack - MTG Card versions
Searing Blaze - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Skullcrack - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Searing Blood by color, type and mana cost

Shatter - MTG Card versions
Word of Blasting - MTG Card versions
Incinerate - MTG Card versions
Guerrilla Tactics - MTG Card versions
Aleatory - MTG Card versions
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Blood Frenzy - MTG Card versions
Fling - MTG Card versions
Falter - MTG Card versions
Shattering Pulse - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Strike - MTG Card versions
Shrapnel Blast - MTG Card versions
Glacial Ray - MTG Card versions
Starstorm - MTG Card versions
First Volley - MTG Card versions
Blazing Shoal - MTG Card versions
Surging Flame - MTG Card versions
Psychotic Fury - MTG Card versions
Sudden Shock - MTG Card versions
Fists of the Anvil - MTG Card versions
Shatter - MTG Card versions
Word of Blasting - MTG Card versions
Incinerate - MTG Card versions
Guerrilla Tactics - MTG Card versions
Aleatory - MTG Card versions
Orcish Catapult - MTG Card versions
Blood Frenzy - MTG Card versions
Fling - MTG Card versions
Falter - MTG Card versions
Shattering Pulse - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Strike - MTG Card versions
Shrapnel Blast - MTG Card versions
Glacial Ray - MTG Card versions
Starstorm - MTG Card versions
First Volley - MTG Card versions
Blazing Shoal - MTG Card versions
Surging Flame - MTG Card versions
Psychotic Fury - MTG Card versions
Sudden Shock - MTG Card versions
Fists of the Anvil - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Searing Blood MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods and Pioneer Challenger Decks 2021, 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 Searing Blood and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Searing Blood Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-02-07 and 2022-07-28. Illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-02-07Born of the GodsBNG 1112003NormalBlackDaniel Ljunggren
22021-10-15Pioneer Challenger Decks 2021Q06 72015NormalBlackDaniel Ljunggren
32022-07-28Explorer Anthology 1EA1 92015NormalBlackDaniel Ljunggren

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Searing Blood has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2014-02-01 If the target creature dies that turn, Searing Blood will deal 3 damage to whoever controls the creature when it dies, who isn’t necessarily the player who controlled it when Searing Blood resolved. It doesn’t matter what causes the creature to die.

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