Thermo-Alchemist MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Shaman
Abilities Defender
Power 0
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Continuous damage over time from Thermo-Alchemist can swing games while leveraging your deck’s strength.
  2. Alchemist’s untap mechanics can escalate your resource advantage, making it a formidable force.
  3. Instant speed interaction gives Thermo-Alchemist flexibility, posing a threat at unpredicted times.

Text of card

Defender : Thermo-Alchemist deals 1 damage to each opponent. Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, untap Thermo-Alchemist.

"Madness can't touch a mind ignited by genius."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thermo-Alchemist enables recurrent card advantage by strategically pinging your opponent or their creatures each time you cast an instant or sorcery spell. This continuous damage output can draw out games, providing you with more opportunities to utilize your deck’s capabilities.

Resource Acceleration: The synergy of Thermo-Alchemist with spells that allow you to untap it multiple times can accelerate your resources. Each untap is a potential source of extra damage, effectively speeding up your win condition without the need for additional cards.

Instant Speed: Thermo-Alchemist’s ability to deal damage doesn’t require tapping and can be used at instant speed. This means you can play other spells first, potentially untap the Alchemist, and then deal damage. It offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to maximize your plays each turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike some other utility creatures, Thermo-Alchemist does not necessitate discarding cards. Therefore, this concern does not apply to Thermo-Alchemist, which can actually benefit players by allowing them to maintain a full hand while still using the creature’s abilities.

Specific Mana Cost: Thermo-Alchemist requires a red mana to cast. This specificity can potentially restrict its integration into decks that do not run red or have a limited red mana base, making it less versatile compared to colorless options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Thermo-Alchemist’s mana cost of two is not exceedingly high, it competes with other two-drop cards in red that may offer immediate impact or different advantages, making it a card that requires strategic deckbuilding choices.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thermo-Alchemist serves as a flexible component in multiple deck archetypes such as burn or spell-slinger strategies. Its ability to untap whenever you cast an instant or sorcery makes it a consistent source of damage.

Combo Potential: With cards that reduce the cost of instants and sorceries or with effects that copy spells, Thermo-Alchemist can turn into an engine that repeatedly deals damage while you execute powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: In metas with an emphasis on non-creature spells, Thermo-Alchemist shines by providing a steady clock to pressure opponents while reinforcing your spell-heavy game plan.


How to Beat

Thermo-Alchemist stands out in MTG as a formidable defender with a knack for dealing incremental damage. Its tap ability, which inflicts damage upon your opponent each time you cast an instant or sorcery spell, makes it a consistent threat. To effectively neutralize this fiery foe, consider employing instant-speed removal spells that can take out the Alchemist before it untaps and starts dealing damage again. Cards like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt are particularly efficient, as they can dispatch the Alchemist without a substantial mana investment.

Additionally, strategies focusing on creature protection are less effective given Thermo-Alchemist’s ability to untap and respond rapidly. Thus, it’s crucial to remain proactive and remove it from the battlefield as swiftly as possible. Ensnaring it with enchantments like Pacifism can also prove to be an effective measure, neutralizing it without triggering any leave-the-battlefield abilities it may have. With the right timing and card choices, circumventing the persistent burn of Thermo-Alchemist is a puzzle solvable by any adept MTG player.

Approaching matches with an awareness of your opponent’s potential threats, including Thermo-Alchemist, will greatly increase your resilience and control over the game’s flow. By doing so, you maintain pressure while diluting your opponent’s offensive capabilities.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances and mechanics of Thermo-Alchemist can significantly boost your MTG strategies, particularly in burn or spell-slinger decks. The distinct abilities it offers, from generating card advantage to fitting seamlessly into red mana strategies, make it a worthwhile addition. Whether you’re tweaking your deck to optimize every turn or looking for that meta-relevant piece to apply constant pressure to your opponent, Thermo-Alchemist deserves consideration. Expand your collection and gameplay by incorporating this dynamic card. Ready to harness the power of consistent damage and elevate your deck’s performance? Dive deeper with us and enrich your MTG experience.


Cards like Thermo-Alchemist

Thermo-Alchemist is a standout card within Magic: The Gathering’s variety of pingers—creatures that deal damage directly to players or planeswalkers. This prowess comes from its ability to untap each time you cast an instant or sorcery spell, in a similar fashion to Firebrand Archer. Yet, unlike Firebrand Archer which deals damage to opponents whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Thermo-Alchemist has the added value of hitting each opponent, aligning perfectly with strategies that aim to cast numerous spells in a single turn.

Comparing it further, we find Gelectrode, another card that can ping opponents multiple times in a cycle. Gelectrode demands more effort to untap, needing you to cast an instant or sorcery for each activation. However, it provides the flexibility of targeting creatures, which Thermo-Alchemist lacks. On another note, while Goblin Sharpshooter doesn’t untap with spell casts, it does so whenever a creature dies, presenting a different tactical advantage in creature-heavy matchups.

Through understanding the unique dynamics each card delivers, Thermo-Alchemist emerges as a formidable choice in a spell-slinging deck, especially in formats like Pauper where it can rapidly turn the tide of the game with its consistent damage output.

Firebrand Archer - MTG Card versions
Gelectrode - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sharpshooter - MTG Card versions
Firebrand Archer - Hour of Devastation (HOU)
Gelectrode - Guildpact (GPT)
Goblin Sharpshooter - Onslaught (ONS)

Cards similar to Thermo-Alchemist by color, type and mana cost

Rock Hydra - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Weaponsmith - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rock Sled - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Lieutenant - MTG Card versions
Goblin Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Heart Sliver - MTG Card versions
Mogg Flunkies - MTG Card versions
Goblin Elite Infantry - MTG Card versions
Fireslinger - MTG Card versions
Skittish Kavu - MTG Card versions
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Hellspark Elemental - MTG Card versions
Storm Entity - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Soldier - MTG Card versions
Mogg War Marshal - MTG Card versions
Mudbrawler Cohort - MTG Card versions
Rock Hydra - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Dwarven Weaponsmith - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Goblin Rock Sled - The Dark (DRK)
Dwarven Lieutenant - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Goblin Recruiter - Visions (VIS)
Heart Sliver - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Flunkies - Stronghold (STH)
Goblin Elite Infantry - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Fireslinger - Duel Decks Anthology: Jace vs. Chandra (JVC)
Skittish Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Rage Weaver - Invasion (INV)
Minotaur Explorer - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparksmith - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Lookout - Legions (LGN)
Skirk Marauder - Legions (LGN)
Hellspark Elemental - DCI Promos (PDCI)
Storm Entity - Future Sight (FUT)
Dwarven Soldier - Masters Edition (ME1)
Mogg War Marshal - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)
Mudbrawler Cohort - Shadowmoor (SHM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thermo-Alchemist MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Ultimate Masters, 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 Thermo-Alchemist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Thermo-Alchemist Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 1472015normalblackRaymond Swanland
22018-12-07Ultimate MastersUMA 1512015normalblackRaymond Swanland
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 3652015normalblackRaymond Swanland
42021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 1642015normalblackRaymond Swanland
52022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 1642015normalblackRaymond Swanland
62022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 832015normalblackAzutaro
72022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 6132015normalblackRaymond Swanland
82023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 1802015normalblackRaymond Swanland

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thermo-Alchemist has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-12-07 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Thermo-Alchemist's activated ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life.
2018-12-07 Thermo-Alchemist's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered. Players can cast spells and activate abilities (such as Thermo-Alchemist's own activated ability) after the triggered ability resolves but before the spell that caused it to trigger does.

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