Spirit Flare MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Flashback
Released	2002-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Torment
Set code	TOR
Number	15
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	rk post

Key Takeaways

Spirit Flare offers both creature control and the potential for a powerful life-gain swing during gameplay.
While versatile, its discard requirement and specific mana needs can limit its playability.
Despite its costs, Spirit Flare’s defensive and combative capabilities make it a unique spell.

Text of card

Tap target untapped creature you control. If you do, it deals damage equal to its power to target attacking or blocking creature an opponent controls. Flashback—o1o W, Pay 3 life. (You may play this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then remove it from the game.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Spirit Flare enables a player to potentially turn a losing battle into a double victory, recouping card advantage by eliminating an opponent’s creature while retrieving their own from the graveyard.

Resource Acceleration: By using Spirit Flare, you can efficiently manage your resources, allowing you to tap into your mana pool only when the right moment arises during the late game. This ensures that no mana goes wasted, setting you up for accelerated plays.

Instant Speed: The card’s capability to be played at instant speed gives you the strategic upper hand, providing the flexibility to react to threats on the fly, disrupting your opponent’s moves, and making surprise comebacks during their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Spirit Flare obliges players to discard a card to activate its second ability. This could put you at a disadvantage, particularly in moments when your hand is already depleted or the cards you hold are critical for upcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both white and generic mana for its casting, making it less flexible and potentially difficult to play in multicolored decks that may not consistently produce the required mana types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost that could be deemed high for its return, players may find that Spirit Flare isn’t as cost-effective compared to other instant spells in the same mana range. This can affect its viability in fast-paced games or in formats where mana efficiency is key.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Spirit Flare offers a flexible response option for decks looking to utilize instant speed interaction. Its ability to target and tap creatures aids in both offensive and defensive strategies, making it useful in various situations during gameplay.

Combo Potential: This card’s threshold ability that gains life equal to the target creature’s power can set up combos with life-gain triggers. It can also integrate well into decks that focus on utilizing the graveyard, providing additional value when meeting its threshold condition.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where aggressive creatures dominate, Spirit Flare shines as a tactical answer. Being able to remove key threats while gaining life is a significant swing in tempo and can be crucial against burn or aggro decks in the current meta.

How to beat

Spirit Flare is a card that commands attention due to its two-fold utility – it can both neutralize a threat and revive a creature from the graveyard. Its flexibility makes it a unique tool for players looking to navigate around opposing forces. Nevertheless, overcoming Spirit Flare requires strategy and foresight. Keeping creatures with hexproof or shroud in your arsenal can protect them from becoming targets of such spells. Additionally, cards that grant indestructible status or spells like Dispel are effective ways to counteract Spirit Flare’s abilities.

Counterspells also play a pivotal role in managing Spirit Flare. By holding up mana for countering spells, you can ensure that when your opponent reaches out with Spirit Flare, you’re ready to negate its effect, maintaining the integrity of your game state. Moreover, playing around graveyard hate, such as cards that exile or restrict graveyard interactions, you can dampen Spirit Flare’s impact by preemptively eliminating its resurrection capabilities. Timing and anticipation are key in precluding Spirit Flare from reversing the tides of battle in your opponent’s favor.

Ultimately, a blend of protective measures for your creatures, strategic countermagic, and graveyard interference can forge a reliable defense against the dual-purpose magic of Spirit Flare, allowing you to maintain the upper hand in your duels.

Cards like Spirit Flare

Spirit Flare is an intriguing option in the realm of life-gaining and creature control spells in Magic: The Gathering. It compares to cards such as Safe Passage, which also protects creatures and players from damage for a turn. However, Spirit Flare introduces a tactical twist – the chance to tap and potentially gain control of an opponent’s creature if played from the graveyard. This functionality sets it apart from the more straightforward defense that Safe Passage offers.

Looking towards Turn to Mist, we notice similarities with Spirit Flare’s creature tapping ability. Turn to Mist can remove a creature from combat and bring it back with a clean slate, albeit without the life gain or control element. On the other hand, Pay No Heed provides a more direct single-target damage prevention, but lacks the multipurpose utility of Spirit Flare. These nuances can significantly affect the versatility and strategic depth a card contributes during gameplay.

When analyzing the dynamic interplay of defense, life gain, and tactical creature control, Spirit Flare stands out as a unique and multifaceted spell in Magic: The Gathering. Its flexible reusability from the graveyard offers players a distinct advantage, showcasing its value in a well-curated deck.

Cards similar to Spirit Flare by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Spirit Flare MTG card by a specific set like Torment, 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 Spirit Flare and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Spirit Flare has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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