Fireblade Charger MTG Card


Fireblade Charger - Zendikar Rising
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Goblin Warrior
Released2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set nameZendikar Rising
Set codeZNR
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number139
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byLie Setiawan

Key Takeaways

  1. Charger deals damage upon death, valuably disrupting opponents and providing card advantage.
  2. When boosted, Charger’s exit can deal significant damage and accelerate your gameplay.
  3. Instant speed trigger of Charger’s ability forces opponents into potentially costly mistakes.

Text of card

As long as Fireblade Charger is equipped, it has haste. When Fireblade Charger dies, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.

"Down in flames" isn't a destination, but a journey.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Fireblade Charger may seem like a solitary creature, but its potential to pack a punch lies in its aftermath. Should the Charger be sent from the battlefield to the graveyard, it deals damage equal to its power to any target. This provides additional value and can disrupt your opponent’s strategy or eliminate a key threat, ultimately tipping the scales in terms of card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While the Fireblade Charger itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its synergies within certain decks can lead to accelerated gameplay. If equipped with artifacts or spells that boost its power, its departure can lead to significant damage, helping you race against decks that ramp up their resources or giving you a tempo boost in aggressive strategies.

Instant Speed: Having an effect that triggers at instant speed, the capacity to deal damage upon its death adds a layer of complexity during gameplay. Your opponent must consider the Charger’s ability during every action they take, which can force mistakes or hesitations. Moreover, when paired with instant speed spells or abilities that can sacrifice the Fireblade Charger on your terms, you harness its full potential and maintain an ever-present threat on the board.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Fireblade Charger doesn’t impose a discard condition, it does have a reliance on being equipped or enchanted to fully leverage its ability. Without additional cards to boost it, its effectiveness could be reduced, essentially making it a card that demands more from your hand to realize its potential.

Specific Mana Cost: The Fireblade Charger requires red mana to cast. This specific requirement restricts its utility to red-inclined or multicolored decks that can spare red mana, narrowing deck-building options for players.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although its one red mana cost is economical, when considering its ability to deal damage upon death, players might find it lags behind other one-drops. It trades off immediate impact for a conditional effect, which may not favor aggressive red strategies looking for more instantaneous results.


Reasons to Include Fireblade Charger in Your Collection

Versatility: The Fireblade Charger works beautifully across a spectrum of decks, notably those seeking aggressive starts. As a one-drop with haste, it meshes into any strategy emphasizing early board presence.

Combo Potential: This card has an inherent synergy with equipment and buffs. When equipped or boosted, its ability not just intensifies but can often be the linchpin of a surprising win, given its death-trigger effect.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment teeming with creatures, Fireblade Charger can act as a deterrent against opponents’ plans. Its last-stand damage output keeps aggressive and creature-heavy metas in check.


How to beat

The Fireblade Charger is a nifty creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, with an ability that packs a punch even as it leaves the battlefield. To counter this aggressive card, a strategic approach is crucial. Since it deals damage equal to its power to any target upon death, removing it without triggering its ability is key. One method is to bounce it back to its owner’s hand, circumventing its leave-the-battlefield trigger. Cards like Unsummon or Stern Dismissal can neatly handle this task.

Alternatively, using instant-speed removal spells that exile it, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, will prevent the pesky damage from affecting your game. If its equipped with an Embercleave or similar power-boosting equipment, consider enchantment and artifact removal options to weaken it and safely control the board. Ultimately, knowing when and how to safely handle Fireblade Charger without igniting its explosive ability will douse your opponent’s fiery plans and keep you ahead in the match.


Cards like Fireblade Charger

Fireblade Charger defies expectations as a one-drop creature in Magic: The Gathering with an aggressive edge. It shares a kinship with Goblin Arsonist, another one-mana creature that also deals damage upon death. However, Fireblade Charger arguably presents more threat with potentially higher damage output thanks to its ability that scales with its power when equipped or enchanted.

Comparatively, we look at Forerunner of Slaughter. Though it doesn’t self-destruct for damage, it boasts the ability to grant haste to another colorless creature. This offers a different kind of tactical advantage but lacks the inevitable damage Fireblade Charger guarantees. Mogg Fanatic enters the fray as well, a classic choice known for its sacrifice-for-damage ability – a close relative to our Charger’s effect, yet the Charger’s equipment synergy could yield higher damage dividends.

Reflecting on their functionalities and strategically different applications, Fireblade Charger stands out as a versatile one-drop option. Its dual utility as both an early aggressor and a late-game damage enhancer solidifies its distinctive role in decks favoring red aggressive strategies and equipment synergies.

Goblin Arsonist - MTG Card versions
Forerunner of Slaughter - MTG Card versions
Mogg Fanatic - MTG Card versions
Goblin Arsonist - MTG Card versions
Forerunner of Slaughter - MTG Card versions
Mogg Fanatic - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Fireblade Charger by color, type and mana cost

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Goblin Balloon Brigade - MTG Card versions
Mons's Goblin Raiders - MTG Card versions
Hurr Jackal - MTG Card versions
Goblin Digging Team - MTG Card versions
Mountain Goat - MTG Card versions
Primordial Ooze - MTG Card versions
Goblin Artisans - MTG Card versions
Gorilla Shaman - MTG Card versions
Goblin Swine-Rider - MTG Card versions
Orcish Conscripts - MTG Card versions
Roc Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Jackal Pup - MTG Card versions
Mogg Fanatic - MTG Card versions
Flailing Soldier - MTG Card versions
Branded Brawlers - MTG Card versions
Kird Ape - MTG Card versions
Scarred Puma - MTG Card versions
Grim Lavamancer - MTG Card versions
Enslaved Dwarf - MTG Card versions
Kessig Wolfrider - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fireblade Charger MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Fireblade Charger and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fireblade Charger has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-09-25 Fireblade Charger’s last known existence on the battlefield is checked to determine its power. If its power was 0 or negative, its ability has no effect.

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