Bogardan Firefiend MTG Card

Weatherlight (WTH)
1997-06-09 - Number 91

Bogardan Firefiend - Tenth Edition (10E)

Tenth Edition (10E)
2007-07-13 - Number 193

Planechase (HOP)
2009-09-04 - Number 48

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elemental Spirit
Power	2
Toughness	1

Key Takeaways

Indirect card advantage can be gleaned through its ability to deal damage when dying.
Its death-trigger damage at instant speed can disrupt opponents unexpectedly.
However, the discard requirement upon death can lead to card disadvantage.

Text of card

If Bogardan Firefiend is put into any graveyard from play, it deals 2 damage to target creature.

"The next one who tells me to relax and curl up by a fire is dead." —Mirri of the *Weatherlight*

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Bogardan Firefiend may not provide card draw in the traditional sense, it can be a source of indirect card advantage. When it dies, it deals 2 damage to any target, allowing you to potentially eliminate an opponent’s creature and maintain a card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: The use of Bogardan Firefiend in MTG can contribute to resource acceleration in a more strategic sense. By applying pressure and forcing your opponent to react, it can lead to resource mismanagement on their part, potentially hastening your path to victory.

Instant Speed: While Bogardan Firefiend itself is a creature card and not an instant, the ability it has triggers when it dies, which can happen at instant speed. This means the damage it deals can be quite unexpected, catching an opponent off guard or disrupting their plays at crucial moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Bogardan Firefiend demands a high resource commitment upon death. It’s an inherent risk, as you must discard a card when it dies, potentially leaving you at a card disadvantage if you’re already struggling to maintain hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature’s casting expense is not just three mana but requires a strict combination of one red mana plus two others. This requirement can be restrictive for players not heavily invested in red mana sources, impacting deck flexibility and mana base construction.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost-to-effectiveness ratio for the Bogardan Firefiend is a point of contention. For its three mana expenditure, including one red, the player gets a 2/1 creature that, upon demise, can deal 2 damage to target creature. In a game where efficiency is key, there are other cards available at a similar cost that might provide more impact or versatility without the added cost of card discard.

Reasons to Include Bogardan Firefiend in Your Collection

Versatility: Bogardan Firefiend can be a dynamic addition to your deck due to its ability to act as both an aggressive creature and a source of direct damage when it dies. This flexibility allows it to fit well in various deck archetypes, particularly those aiming for an aggressive early game strategy or those that benefit from creatures with comes-into-play or leaves-play effects.

Combo Potential: The death-trigger of dealing damage offers combo potential with cards that capitalize on creature deaths or damage effects. It can easily slide into decks looking to exploit such synergies, offering an extra layer of strategy and response to your play.

Meta-Relevance: Given its utility and the current decks circulating in the meta, Bogardan Firefiend can serve a purpose by offering a valuable trade on the battlefield or by pressuring control decks that might otherwise stabilize the board. Its presence in your collection ensures you have a tool that remains relevant against certain popular strategies.

How to Beat

The Bogardan Firefiend presents an interesting challenge in the MTG arena. As a creature that can deal damage to a player or planeswalker when it meets its demise, it requires strategic planning to tackle effectively. To gain the upper hand against the Firefiend, consider using cards that allow you to exile it rather than destroying it, thus circumventing its death-trigger ability.

Look to cards like Path to Exile or Silkwrap that can remove the Firefiend from the game without triggering its damage-dealing effect. Alternatively, employing a strategy that limits your opponent’s creatures from entering the battlefield, such as through countermagic or creature-based control decks, could preemptively handle the threat. This way, you maintain a strong board presence without sacrificing life points or valuable planeswalkers to the Firefiend’s ability.

It’s also worth considering simply waiting until you can withstand the loss – whether it be the two points of damage or the creature or planeswalker targeted – and planning your moves to minimize the impact of the Firefiend’s departure. With careful maneuvering and the right set of tools in your deck, the Bogardan Firefiend can be reduced to a minor obstacle on your path to victory.

Cards like Bogardan Firefiend

Bogardan Firefiend stands out in the roster of creature cards with enter or leave the battlefield effects in Magic: The Gathering. This card echoes creatures such as Mogg War Marshal, which also deals damage upon exiting the battlefield. What sets Bogardan Firefiend apart is its damage-dealing ability to any target, providing strategic flexibility. Mogg War Marshal, in contrast, has the echo cost mechanic that can be utilized for additional creature tokens rather than direct damage.

Taking another comparison, Fire Imp provides a similar instant impact on the game by dealing damage when it enters the battlefield. While Fire Imp requires the damage to be dealt to a creature, Bogardan Firefiend offers the potential to deal the blow to any target, including opponents. There’s also Ember Hauler, a creature with the ability to sacrifice itself for damage. This goblin differs from Bogardan Firefiend in that it provides a consistent two damage through self-sacrifice at any given moment, as opposed to the Firefiend’s conditional damage upon death.

Conclusively, Bogardan Firefiend’s flexible damage capabilities upon death make it a unique and valuable card, especially when clever synergies are considered to maximize its leave-the-battlefield trigger within the diverse world of creatures in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Bogardan Firefiend by color, type and mana cost

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Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - MTG Card versions

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Shinen of Fury's Fire - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Bogardan Firefiend MTG card by a specific set like Weatherlight and Tenth Edition, 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 Bogardan Firefiend and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Bogardan Firefiend Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1997-06-09 and 2009-09-04. Illustrated by Terese Nielsen.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1997-06-09	Weatherlight	WTH	91	1997	Normal	Black	Terese Nielsen
2	2007-07-13	Tenth Edition	10E	193	2003	Normal	Black	Terese Nielsen
3	2009-09-04	Planechase	HOP	48	2003	Normal	Black	Terese Nielsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Bogardan Firefiend has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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