Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf MTG Card

Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf - Shadows over Innistrad

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Shaman Werewolf
Abilities	Transform
Released	2016-04-08
Set symbol
Set name	Shadows over Innistrad
Set code	SOI
Power	2
Toughness	1
Number	169
Frame	2015
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Winona Nelson

Key Takeaways

Kessig Forgemaster transforms to Flameheart Werewolf, offering dual functionality and strategic depth in gameplay.
Its potential for creature removal grants a tactical advantage, pressuring opponents and managing the board state.
Designed for werewolf-centric decks, it’s a dynamic card that bolsters aggressive and midrange strategies effectively.

Text of card

Whenever Kessig Forgemaster blocks or becomes blocked by a creature, Kessig Forgemaster deals 1 damage to that creature. At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform Kessig Forgemaster.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf swings the balance in your favor by transforming into a creature that can potentially deal damage to multiple creatures. This transformation process generates card advantage by effectively removing opposing creatures without expending additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources in the traditional sense of producing mana, the Forgemaster’s ability to consistently apply pressure can indirectly influence the resource game. By forcing opponents to deal with it, they may need to divert resources that could have gone towards their own acceleration or development.

Instant Speed: Although Kessig Forgemaster itself does not operate at instant speed, commanding a force that threatens to grow stronger if not dealt with compels opponents to play around it. This management ensures your threat remains present while still allocating mana efficiently for other instant-speed interactions during the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Kessig Forgemaster / Flameheart Werewolf does not directly require a discard, yet it’s worth considering that enabling werewolf transformation often results in holding back cards to trigger the change. This could inadvertently pressure your hand, making you choose between discarding for optimal play or keeping cards to maintain board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost demands one red and one generic mana, making it somewhat restrictive. It fits primarily in red-centric or werewolf-themed decks, potentially limiting its versatility across various MTG deck builds that might not accommodate such specific mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, Kessig Forgemaster is reasonably costed for its initial abilities. However, fully utilizing its flip side, Flameheart Werewolf, might not always justify the deck space when considering other cards at similar mana points that don’t necessitate a transformation to be effective.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf brings adaptability to your red and green decks. Its ability to transform adds a dynamic element, allowing it to function both as an early aggressor and a mid-game threat.

Combo Potential: With its flip mechanic, this card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on werewolf transformation or use werewolf tribal elements. It adds value to decks that reward you for flipping your creatures or benefit from having powerful creatures with trample.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where small creatures are prevalent, its frontline creature removal becomes a game-changer. The Flameheart Werewolf’s increased power after transformation can also become a significant force in aggressive or midrange decks, cementing its relevance in the current competitive landscape.

How to beat

Kessig Forgemaster, which transforms into Flameheart Werewolf, presents an interesting challenge in a game of MTG. As a flip card, understanding its strengths and weaknesses can be key to prevailing over it. During its initial form as Kessig Forgemaster, its power lies in dealing damage to blocking creatures, which potentially makes it harmful for an opponent to block. When it flips to Flameheart Werewolf, the threat increases as it can also damage players as well as creatures.

To effectively combat this crafty werewolf, the straightforward option is removal spells. Having a ready stock of instant-speed removal like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can disrupt your opponent’s tactics, dealing with the creature before it becomes a greater threat. Alternatively, denying your opponent’s creatures to transition into nightfall will maintain Kessig Forgemaster in its less threatening form. Creature-specific spells aren’t your only weapon; enchantments like Pacifism can neutralize it without requiring you to engage in troublesome combat scenarios.

Victory against creatures of this dual nature comes down to timing and control. By understanding the tempo and managing your resources wisely, you can ensure that Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf becomes less of a monstrous problem and more of a manageable nuisance in your MTG matchups.

Cards like Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf

Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf earns its place in the lineup of double-faced cards with transformative abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It invites natural comparisons to werewolves such as Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator. Both cards embody the werewolf mechanic where they transform under specific circumstances. The Forgemaster distinguishes itself by dealing damage to a creature upon being blocked or blocking, whereas the Waif relies on a more aggressive early game, transforming when no spells are cast.

Delving deeper into the werewolf tribe, Village Messenger // Moonrise Intruder is another card that shares a family resemblance. Like the Forgemaster, it has haste and a moon-related transformation trigger. However, the Forgemaster’s ability to ping creatures provides a strategic edge in creature combat, a utility that the Messenger doesn’t offer. Comparatively, Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells presents as a higher cost alternative, boasting a greater impact on the board state with life gain and direct damage but lacks the straightforward creature interaction of the Kessig Forgemaster.

When evaluating werewolf cards side by side, Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf’s unique damage-dealing capability on both its sides makes it a noteworthy option for players seeking to maximize combat effectiveness in their MTG decks.

Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator - MTG Card versions

Village Messenger // Moonrise Intruder - MTG Card versions

Huntmaster of the Fells // Ravager of the Fells - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf by color, type and mana cost

Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad, 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 Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kessig Forgemaster // Flameheart Werewolf has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-04-08	Flameheart Werewolf’s first ability triggers once for each creature blocking or blocked by it. The ability resolves and deals damage to that creature before combat damage is dealt. If that damage destroys a creature blocking Flameheart Werewolf, Flameheart Werewolf doesn’t become unblocked.
2016-04-08	Kessig Forgemaster’s first ability triggers once for each creature blocking or blocked by it. The ability resolves and deals damage to that creature before combat damage is dealt. If that damage destroys a creature blocking Kessig Forgemaster, Kessig Forgemaster doesn’t become unblocked.
2016-04-08	The abilities that transform a Werewolf back and forth look at the entire previous turn, even if the Werewolf with that ability wasn’t on the battlefield for some or all of that turn.
2016-04-08	To trigger the Werewolf’s back face’s transform ability, a single player must have cast two or more spells during the previous turn. If multiple players each cast just one spell during the previous turn, the ability won’t trigger.
2016-07-13	For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics).