Emberstrike Duo MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elemental Warrior Shaman
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	185
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Aleksi Briclot

Key Takeaways

Offers a consistent threat by dealing damage with every red spell cast, pressurizing opponents.
Enhances gameplay with its lower spectacle cost, allowing faster and diverse strategic plays.
Its combat tricks with instant speed spells can turn the tide of battle unexpectedly.

Text of card

Whenever you play a black spell, Emberstrike Duo gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Whenever you play a red spell, Emberstrike Duo gains first strike until end of turn.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Emberstrike Duo enhances your strategic plays by offering potential damage output every time you cast another red spell, keeping the pressure on your opponent and providing ongoing benefits as you play more spells.

Resource Acceleration: With its spectacle cost, Emberstrike Duo can hit the battlefield with a lower investment, preserving your resources and accelerating your game pace by allowing you to deploy threats or hold mana for other responses earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: The ability to trigger its prowess-like effect at instant speed through other spells grants you the flexibility to strengthen the Duo unexpectedly during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, catching adversaries off guard and optimizing your turn sequence.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limitations of the Emberstrike Duo is the necessity to discard a card to activate its full potential. This discard can set players back, especially in moments when maintaining a substantial hand size is crucial for strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Emberstrike Duo includes both red and black mana, which could restrict deck-building flexibility. Players running a multicolored deck may struggle to generate the right mana at the right time, affecting the card’s playability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Emberstrike Duo can be a game-changer, its four mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other creatures that occupy the same role in a deck. This cost can slow down your game, particularly when competing against decks that operate on low-cost, high-speed strategies.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Emberstrike Duo offers a unique playstyle that adapts to both aggressive and interactive decks. Its ability to switch between power and toughness makes it useful in a variety of situations, providing flexibility in your game plan.

Combo Potential: With prowess, this card synergizes well with spells, potentially creating explosive turns. It works nicely within decks that cast multiple noncreature spells, enhancing your potential for a swift victory.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability of becoming a significant threat quickly, Emberstrike Duo can hold its own in a meta that favors swift, aggressive strategies. Its swift adaptability makes it a card that can confront various common archetypes effectively.

How to beat

Emberstrike Duo presents an engaging challenge on the battlefield due to its powerful playstyle in Magic: The Gathering. This card intensifies when you cast a multicolored spell, gaining prowess and the potential to deal significant direct damage. Facing such a duo requires a strategic approach to mitigate its impact and maintain control of the game.

Key to overcoming the Emberstrike Duo is to limit their triggering opportunities. This can be achieved by controlling the spell casting flow, particularly of multicolored spells, or by removing the duo from the battlefield entirely through removal spells. One could look at utilizing instant-speed removal like Path to Exile, or board wipes such as Supreme Verdict, which clears the battlefield regardless of creature size or abilities.

Moreover, disrupting your opponent’s mana base to prevent them from optimizing the Emberstrike Duo’s capabilities is another effective strategy. A well-timed Thoughtseize to extract pivotal multicolored spells from your opponent’s hand could be the difference between a fierce field of adversaries or a manageable board state. Emberstrike Duo presents a distinct tactical hurdle, yet with the right tools and timing, their flame can be extinguished, allowing you to secure victory.

Cards like Emberstrike Duo

Emberstrike Duo is an intriguing MTG card that ignites comparisons with other similar creatures. Take Chandra’s Spitfire, for instance. Both creatures thrive on instigating noncombat damage to an opponent, amplifying their power. While Emberstrike Duo benefits from instances where the player casts both a red and green spell to double its power, Chandra’s Spitfire only requires any noncombat damage to trigger its ability and doesn’t have the same requirement for multicolored spell casting.

Another card in the conversation is Kiln Fiend. This card shares the propensity for explosive growth with each instant or sorcery spell, skyrocketing its power temporarily. Kiln Fiend’s power boost, however, is not tied to the spell’s color, granting more flexibility in deckbuilding compared to Emberstrike Duo’s specific color synergy. Lastly, we have the Fireslinger, which directly damages opponents and can synergize well with both Emberstrike Duo and Chandra’s Spitfire to activate their abilities.

In summary, Emberstrike Duo stands out in MTG by demanding strategic deck construction with a specific color focus. It holds its own by providing a potential for considerable power increase, yet it must be measured against the flexibility and board impact offered by other cards in the same vein.

Cards similar to Emberstrike Duo by color, type and mana cost

Valki, God of Lies // Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor - MTG Card versions

Tymaret, the Murder King - MTG Card versions

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Emberstrike Duo 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 Emberstrike Duo and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Emberstrike Duo 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 Emberstrike Duo card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.