Searing Barrage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Abilities	Adamant
Released	2019-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Throne of Eldraine
Set code	ELD
Number	140
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Allen Williams

Key Takeaways

Searing Barrage has card advantage capabilities with extra damage potential from the Adamant mechanic.
Indirectly aids resource preservation by potentially eliminating key creatures on the board.
At sorcery speed, it’s a powerful tool, mimicking instant interaction when timed strategically.

Text of card

Searing Barrage deals 5 damage to target creature. Adamant — If at least three red mana was spent to cast this spell, Searing Barrage deals 3 damage to that creature's controller.

It emerged from the coldest depths of Lochmere only to face the fires of Irencrag.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Searing Barrage brings more than just raw damage to the table; it also has an upside with the “Adamant” keyword. If you used three or more red mana to cast it, you deal additional damage, effectively removing one more creature or applying extra pressure to an opponent, thus tipping the cards-in-hand battle in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Searing Barrage doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to possibly take out a key blocker or attacker can indirectly preserve the resources on your side of the board. This form of indirect resource acceleration ensures that you maintain board presence and can be critical for swinging the momentum your way.

Instant Speed: Although Searing Barrage operates at sorcery speed, the power packed into its five damage punch can significantly alter the board state, akin to an aftermath of an instant-speed interaction. The strategic timing of your sorcery can emulate the surprise element often associated with instant speed spells, especially in conjunction with other instant speed spells in your arsenal.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Searing Barrage doesn’t directly ask you to discard, it requires you to have another card in your hand to get its full benefit from the adamant mechanic, potentially leaving you with fewer options later in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes red mana, which can be challenging for players not running a mono-red or red-inclusive deck, limiting its overall versatility in a multi-color meta.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Five mana—three generic and two red—for a single target damage spell can be steep when considering other available burn spells in MTG that might deliver similar or better effects at a lower cost, affecting your tempo in fast-paced matches.

Reasons to Include Searing Barrage in Your Collection

Versatility: Searing Barrage can be a valuable addition to red-themed decks, packing both direct damage and the potential to deal extra damage when you have reached a specific amount of mana. This makes it a great tool for handling creatures across a variety of board states.

Combo Potential: For players who enjoy intricate game play, Searing Barrage offers a combo enabler for strategies that hinge on damage spells. It pairs well with cards that benefit from casting red spells or those that trigger upon dealing noncombat damage to an opponent.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to deal a significant amount of damage, Searing Barrage remains relevant in a meta where finishing off opponents’ key creatures or providing the last points of life damage is crucial. It’s particularly useful in aggressive red strategies that aim to close out the game swiftly.

How to beat Searing Barrage

Searing Barrage shines as a potent red spell in Magic: The Gathering, bringing significant damage to the table and capable of swaying the game’s momentum. As a removal option, it delivers five damage to a target creature and, if the spell’s adamant condition is met, it additionally scorches the opponent’s life total. This may seem daunting, but there are strategic ways to mitigate its impact or nullify it altogether.

One way to circumvent Searing Barrage is through creature protection. Spells like Lazotep Plating shield your creatures and make them hexproof for a turn, rendering Searing Barrage ineffective. Additionally, the use of counterspells like Negate, which directly targets noncreature spells, can ensure Searing Barrage never resolves.

Moreover, smart resource management is key. Keeping mana open for instant-speed response lets you flexibly address threats. Searing Barrage only being a sorcery means it can’t disrupt your turn, giving you room to plan around it. Finally, remember that while it can be forceful, Searing Barrage’s five mana cost means that deploying it requires significant resources from your opponent, presenting you with opportunities to gain the upper hand in other areas of the game.

Cards like Searing Barrage

Searing Barrage stands out in the realm of red instance damage spells in Magic: The Gathering. It can be paralleled with cards like Lava Coil, which also offers a satisfying burst of damage. However, Searing Barrage features an Adamant mechanic, rewarding players with additional damage for using three red mana, something Lava Coil doesn’t provide. This can be especially potent in a mono-red deck that capitalizes on direct damage for swift takedowns.

Another relative card is Skewer the Critics. With its Spectacle cost, it’s a more mana-efficient option if an opponent has lost life this turn, yet it lacks the additional late-game reach of Searing Barrage. In the late game, that additional effect of Searing Barrage guarantees direct damage to the opponent, regardless of the target creature’s fate. Comparatively, Skewer the Critics is singular in focus and does not impact the opponent’s life total directly when casting it for creatures removal.

Through comparison, Searing Barrage adds depth to any MTG player’s arsenal, harnessing both creature removal and opponent life total threats, hence asserting itself as a versatile card with the strategic potential to swing late-game situations in its caster’s favor.

Cards similar to Searing Barrage by color, type and mana cost

Beacon of Destruction - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Searing Barrage MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine, 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 Searing Barrage and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Searing Barrage has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-10-04	Adamant effects check what mana was actually spent to cast a spell. If an effect allows you to spend mana “as though it were mana” of any color or type, that allows you to spend mana you couldn't otherwise spend, but it doesn't change what mana you spent to cast the spell.
2019-10-04	If an effect allows you to cast a spell without paying its mana cost, you can't choose to cast it and pay unless another rule or effect allows you to cast that spell for a cost. Similarly, you can't waive a cost reduction unless that effect says you may.
2019-10-04	If an instant or sorcery spell has an adamant ability, you perform the spell's instructions in order. You don't perform the adamant instruction before the spell resolves or before any other effects printed above it.
2019-10-04	If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Searing Barrage tries to resolve, the spell won't resolve. No player will be dealt damage, even if you spent three red mana.
2019-10-04	If you copy a spell that has an adamant ability, no mana was spent to cast the copy at all, so that ability won't apply.
2019-10-04	Searing Barrage's adamant ability causes it to deal additional damage. It doesn't replace the damage dealt to the target creature.