Cinderhaze Wretch MTG Card


Cinderhaze Wretch - Shadowmoor
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elemental Shaman
Released2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set nameShadowmoor
Set codeSHM
Power 3
Toughness 2
Number60
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySteven Belledin

Key Takeaways

  1. Cinderhaze Wretch excels in hand disruption, making it formidable in control strategies.
  2. Requires strategic balance in decks due to its unique mana and discard requirements.
  3. Provides depth and combo possibilities within MTG’s complex tactical landscape.

Text of card

: Target player discards a card. Play this ability only during your turn. Put a -1/-1 counter on Cinderhaze Wretch: Untap Cinderhaze Wretch.

Thick smoke billows and twists to form disturbing faces that cackle and click their teeth to the popping embers.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cinderhaze Wretch enables recurring disruption of your opponent’s hand, potentially stripping them of key options and smoothing out your draws with its untap ability.

Resource Acceleration: By untapping Cinderhaze Wretch, you can potentially chain multiple spells or abilities in a single turn, effectively accelerating your board presence and resource utilization.

Instant Speed: The flexibility to use Cinderhaze Wretch’s untap ability at instant speed offers strategic advantage. You can wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn to disrupt their plans or enhance your defensive capabilities.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The activation of Cinderhaze Wretch’s ability comes with a mandate for the player to discard a card, posing a potential drawback during moments when maintaining hand advantage is critical.

Specific Mana Cost: Cinderhaze Wretch requires a tailored mana base due to its black mana cost, making it less versatile and sometimes challenging to cast outside dedicated black decks or those with sufficient mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its five mana value, this card competes with other impactful options in the same slot. Players may find that there are alternative cards that provide more immediate or powerful effects, making the mana investment into Cinderhaze Wretch less efficient in various scenarios.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Cinderhaze Wretch proves to be a flexible component in many deck builds, especially those seeking repeatable discard effects to disrupt opponents or enable their own graveyard-based strategies.

Combo Potential: This creature pairs well with cards that capitalize on tapping and untapping mechanics, thus augmenting its inherent ability to wear down opponents’ hand sizes while empowering your plays.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games drag out or against decks that heavily rely on having a certain hand composition, Cinderhaze Wretch’s consistent discard ability can be an unassuming yet potent tool to tip the scales in your favor.


How to beat

Cinderhaze Wretch presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This shadowy creature not only pecks at your opponent’s hand but also has the untap capability that could disrupt a myriad of strategies. It is prevalent in decks that capitalize on discard mechanics and continuous control.

To outmaneuver this wily critter, consider incorporating removal spells that can bypass its untap potential. Instant speed spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push can efficiently dispatch Cinderhaze Wretch before its controller can make use of its tapping ability. Furthermore, spells like Grafdigger’s Cage hinder abilities that creatures have out of the graveyard, curtailing any plans of recurring the Wretch for further nuisance.

Competitively speaking, adjusting your strategy to prioritize threats like Cinderhaze Wretch can be crucial. Keeping removal handy, managing resources to respond instantaneously, and understanding the tempo of the game when the Wretch is in play can swing the momentum in your favor, and preserve the key components of your hand and strategy. Balancing awareness and preparedness is your best route to nullifying the impact of this frustrating foe.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of each MTG card is crucial for strategic gameplay. Cinderhaze Wretch is a prime example of a card that can disrupt opponents while offering combo potential. Embracing the complexity of MTG not only involves knowing your own deck but also predicting opponents’ moves. Insight into cards like Cinderhaze Wretch can turn the tide of battle in your favor. Dive deeper into strategy, refine your deck-building skills, and enhance your understanding of the game’s mechanics with us. Master the art of disruption and take your MTG experience to new heights. Join our community for more nuanced insights and tips.


Cards like Cinderhaze Wretch

Cinderhaze Wretch holds a distinctive position within the cadre of creature cards available in MTG. This card is often weighed against Sadistic Hypnotist due to their shared ability to make opponents discard cards. Although both creatures feature discard mechanics, Cinderhaze Wretch requires activation through untapping, a nuance that can be manipulated for recurring effect within a single turn in the right deck.

Comparatively, Oona’s Blackguard offers a related yet distinctly aggressive strategy. It combines discard with rogue synergy, effectively reducing hand size while simultaneously bolstering your board state. While Cinderhaze Wretch focuses on controlled discard manipulation, Oona’s Blackguard adds pressure with its potential for combat damage. Mind Slash also deserves mention for its sacrifice-driven discard effect, though it demands a greater resource investment with each activation, making Cinderhaze Wretch a more streamlined option in the context of discard-focused control decks.

Assessing the niche that each card occupies, Cinderhaze Wretch appeals to those seeking repetitive and strategic hand disruption, carving out a significant role within Magic: The Gathering’s intricate ecosystem of creature-based discard effects.

Sadistic Hypnotist - MTG Card versions
Oona's Blackguard - MTG Card versions
Mind Slash - MTG Card versions
Sadistic Hypnotist - Odyssey (ODY)
Oona's Blackguard - Gateway 2008 (PG08)
Mind Slash - Nemesis (NEM)

Cards similar to Cinderhaze Wretch by color, type and mana cost

Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
Fallen Angel - MTG Card versions
Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
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Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
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Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Sheoldred - MTG Card versions
Dementia Bat - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Plaguelord - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - Tempest (TMP)
Predatory Nightstalker - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Fallen Angel - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Stone Catapult - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Grotesque Hybrid - Torment (TOR)
Earwig Squad - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Indulgent Tormentor - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sootfeather Flock - Legions (LGN)
Zombie Cutthroat - Scourge (SCG)
Gluttonous Zombie - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Vermiculos - Mirrodin (MRD)
Woebearer - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Wei Elite Companions - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Halo Hunter - Zendikar (ZEN)
Malakir Bloodwitch - Zendikar (ZEN)
Caustic Crawler - Worldwake (WWK)
Shriekmaw - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Reaper of Sheoldred - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Dementia Bat - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Phyrexian Plaguelord - Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia (TD2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cinderhaze Wretch MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Cinderhaze Wretch and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Cinderhaze Wretch has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2008-05-01 You put the -1/-1 counter on Cinderhaze Wretch as a cost. That means it happens when you activate the ability, not when it resolves. If paying the cost causes the creature to have 0 toughness, it’s put into the graveyard before you can untap it and before you can even pay the cost again.

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