Flashfires MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 19 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Flashfires potentially provides card advantage by removing opponents’ Plains, disrupting their play.
  2. The card’s impact on mana bases can accelerate your strategic position relative to your opponent.
  3. In tuning decks, the specific mana cost and overall investment for Flashfires require careful consideration.

Text of card

All plains in play are destroyed.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Although Flashfires does not enable you to draw more cards, it can significantly disrupt your opponent’s strategy by removing multiple lands. This can lead to a card advantage if they are prevented from playing higher cost spells while you continue to develop your board.

Resource Acceleration: Flashfires is not a conventional acceleration tool. However, by selectively removing an opponent’s Plains, it can accelerate your relative resource availability by setting your opponent back, potentially allowing you to capitalize on your lead in mana and board presence.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery-speed card, Flashfires must be played during your main phase. This allows for strategic planning to optimize its impact. Timing the play when an opponent is vulnerable can be pivotal, ensuring you benefit from a window of opportunity where they can’t effectively respond or recover.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players using Flashfires need to ensure that this card aligns with their hand management strategy. While there’s no direct discard requirement for Flashfires, playing it can often mean foregoing the casting of other potentially vital spells in the player’s hand, especially given the card’s specific mana cost and timing of use in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Flashfires demands an investment of three generic mana plus one red mana. This requirement can be restrictive, making the card less flexible for inclusion in decks that aren’t heavy on red mana or that utilize a wider color palette. Decks that rely on a balanced mix of colors may find it challenging to allocate resources for Flashfires when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of four mana, Flashfires may be considered costly for its effect of destroying all plains. Players might weigh this cost against other available options that can deal with multiple land types or provide a more versatile response to an opponent’s board for a similar or lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Flashfires is an impactful card that can serve as a powerful sideboard option against decks with a heavy reliance on Plains. Its ability to disrupt opponent’s mana base by destroying all Plains in play can be game-changing.

Combo Potential: In decks that aim to deny resources, Flashfires can be a part of a lock-down strategy when combined with cards that punish land destruction or benefit from opponents having fewer lands.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where white-based control or aggro decks are prevalent, Flashfires provides a strategic edge, potentially clearing the way for your win conditions while setting back your opponent’s board development.


How to beat

Flashfires, known in the MTG community for its land destruction capabilities, can be a serious roadblock, especially for players relying heavily on Plains. To effectively counter this card, sideboarding options that regenerate or produce lands can be pivotal. Including cards like Terra Eternal or Sacred Ground will prevent losing your valuable white mana sources as these cards protect lands from all destruction effects. Additionally, employing versatile lands that aren’t just Plains or running counter spells to stop Flashfires from resolving ensures you maintain your land base and keep your game plan unaffected.

Diversifying the mana base is also essential. By incorporating a mix of utility lands, artifacts, or other land types that provide white mana, you reduce the game-altering impact Flashfires could have on your strategy. Lastly, being mindful of the mana curve can minimize reliance on specific lands at any given time. Having a spread of low to high-cost spells ensures that even in the face of Flashfires, your ability to cast spells and stay competitive isn’t compromised.

Ultimately, understanding that Flashfires is a niche card predominantly used within certain strategies makes preparation a manageable aspect of game-building, allowing players to adapt and maintain control over their matches in MTG.


Cards like Flashfires

Flashfires holds a unique place in the arsenal of land disruption spells within the game. This spell specializes in the targeted removal of Plains, a basic land type essential to white mana decks. It stands in direct comparison to similar spells like Boil, which similarly eradicates Islands, hampering blue mana players. Flashfires, however, exclusively impacts Plains, carving a niche against decks that heavily rely on white mana sources.

Another analogue is Tsunami, a spell that specifically targets Forests, the vital green mana source. While Tsunami can be devastating to green-centered decks, Flashfires serves as a sharp tool against white mana strategies, exhibiting its worth in games where timing and targeting precise land types is key. The card’s potential impact on the game can be substantial, particularly in formats where white-based control or token strategies prevail.

Assessing Flashfires within its niche of land destruction, the card is a strategic option for players looking to unbalance opponents heavily invested in white. The narrow focus against Plains distinguishes it within this subset of cards, cementing its value in matches where such a tactical move can turn the tides.

Boil - MTG Card versions
Tsunami - MTG Card versions
Boil - Tempest (TMP)
Tsunami - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Flashfires by color, type and mana cost

Shatterstorm - MTG Card versions
Anarchy - MTG Card versions
Phoenix Heart - MTG Card versions
Reign of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Deadshot - MTG Card versions
Aftershock - MTG Card versions
Ruination - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Flood - MTG Card versions
Relentless Assault - MTG Card versions
Flameshot - MTG Card versions
Bend or Break - MTG Card versions
Scorching Missile - MTG Card versions
Reckless Crew - MTG Card versions
Draconic Intervention - MTG Card versions
Illuminate History - MTG Card versions
Demolish - MTG Card versions
Granulate - MTG Card versions
Touch and Go - MTG Card versions
Sunder from Within - MTG Card versions
Thoughts of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Shatterstorm - Antiquities (ATQ)
Anarchy - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Phoenix Heart - Celebration Cards (PCEL)
Reign of Chaos - Mirage (MIR)
Deadshot - Tempest (TMP)
Aftershock - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Ruination - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Flowstone Flood - Exodus (EXO)
Relentless Assault - Commander Legends (CMR)
Flameshot - The List (PLST)
Bend or Break - Invasion (INV)
Scorching Missile - Odyssey (ODY)
Reckless Crew - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Draconic Intervention - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Illuminate History - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Demolish - Ravnica Remastered (RVR)
Granulate - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Touch and Go - Unhinged (UNH)
Sunder from Within - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Thoughts of Ruin - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Flashfires MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Flashfires and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Flashfires Magic the Gathering card was released in 16 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 1511993normalblackDameon Willich
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 1521993normalblackDameon Willich
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 1521993normalwhiteDameon Willich
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 1521993normalblackDameon Willich
51993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 1521993normalblackDameon Willich
61994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 1521993normalwhiteDameon Willich
71994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 1521993normalblackDameon Willich
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 1521993normalwhiteDameon Willich
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 1951993normalwhiteDameon Willich
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 1951993normalblackDameon Willich
111997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 2311997normalwhiteDameon Willich
121997-05-01PortalPOR 1291997normalblackRandy Gallegos
131999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 1801997normalwhiteRandy Gallegos
142003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 186★2003normalblackRandy Gallegos
152003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1862003normalwhiteRandy Gallegos
162005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 183★2003normalblackRandy Gallegos
172005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1832003normalwhiteRandy Gallegos
182022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 4441997normalblackDameon Willich
192022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 1472015normalblackDameon Willich

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Flashfires has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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