Pyroclastic Hellion MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Hellion |
| Released | 2020-09-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Zendikar Rising |
| Set code | ZNR |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 152 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Simon Dominic |
Key Takeaways
- Leverages landfall mechanics by triggering them twice via land return, enhancing in-game strategic depth.
- The Hellion’s specific mana cost challenges deck diversity but reinforces its presence in mono-red builds.
- Despite a higher mana cost, it remains a versatile asset, combining board presence with utility.
Text of card
When Pyroclastic Hellion enters the battlefield, you may return a land you control to its owner's hand. When you do, Pyroclastic Hellion deals 2 damage to each opponent.
"The difference between a hellion and a volcano is that volcanoes don't get hungry." —Sachir, Akoum Expeditionary House
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Pyroclastic Hellion offers an interesting twist on card advantage by allowing you to return a land you control to your hand when it enters the battlefield. This interaction can be particularly useful when you have lands with enter-the-battlefield effects, essentially letting you double-dip on their abilities and maintaining your grip on the game.
Resource Acceleration: While this creature doesn’t directly generate mana, the returned land can be replayed for an additional land drop if you have landfall abilities on the field. This can lead to a potent form of resource acceleration, as some landfall abilities can generate additional mana or produce other value-generating effects, keeping your engine running smoothly.
Instant Speed: Although Pyroclastic Hellion itself is not an instant-speed spell, it can complement instant-speed strategies. As it helps recycle lands with valuable enter-the-battlefield effects, you can hold these lands in hand and play them at the most opportune time to maximize your instant-speed interactions, ensuring that your resources are always used efficiently.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Pyroclastic Hellion requires players to toss another card from their hand into the graveyard, potentially depleting valuable resources or losing key cards from their game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature card necessitates a precise combination of mana, including two red, which might not seamlessly fit into multicolor deck strategies or be readily available for decks that don’t heavily favor mountains.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes five mana — two of which must be red — the Hellion comes with a significant mana investment. Players might find this mana cost challenging to meet in the early stages of the game, or consider it too steep for the benefits gained when comparing with other creatures or spells available within the same mana range.
Reasons to Include Pyroclastic Hellion in Your Collection
Versatility: Pyroclastic Hellion can be a significant addition to decks focusing on land strategies, as its ability to return a land to your hand can trigger landfall abilities multiple times. It’s also flexible enough to fit into red-based decks that could benefit from its 4/5 body and direct damage capability.
Combo Potential: Utilizing the Hellion’s land return effect can synergize with landfall cards or effects that capitalize on lands entering the battlefield. Plus, its ability to deal 2 damage upon landing offers combo opportunities with cards that leverage direct damage or “ping” effects.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors long games with sophisticated board states, Pyroclastic Hellion serves as both a tool to reset your landfall triggers and as a means to remove pesky small creatures, potentially altering the tide of the game in your favor.
How to beat
Pyroclastic Hellion brings a potent presence to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering with its ability to return a land to its owner’s hand upon entering the fray. This ability not only offers a way to reuse landfall abilities but also triggers a direct hit to an opponent’s life points, reminiscent of effects you might find in cards like Roil Eruption.
However, overcoming this creature lies in control and timing. The key is to manage the board effectively and prevent the Hellion’s ability from being a recurring issue. Counter spells that work effectively against creatures, such as Essence Scatter, and removal options like Murder or Heartless Act, are critical in keeping it at bay. Similarly, leveraging instant-speed removal can disrupt an opponent’s landfall strategy, by removing Pyroclastic Hellion before they can gain significant advantage from the land return, much like tactics used against repeatable bounce mechanics found in cards like Flood of Tears.
Strategic planning and recognizing the right moment for disruption can turn the tide against Pyroclastic Hellion. By understanding its strengths and employing removal or counters at the optimal time, players can effectively negate its impact and maintain control of the game.
Cards like Pyroclastic Hellion
Pyroclastic Hellion takes its place in the roster of impactful creatures within Magic: The Gathering. Much like the formidable Shivan Dragon, it offers a flying threat with the flexibility to adjust its power. However, Pyroclastic Hellion trades the iconic dragon’s variable fire-breathing ability for land retrieval, allowing players to return a land to their hand, which can be immensely useful in landfall strategies.
When examining other cards with a strong entrance onto the battlefield, such as Roil Elemental, Pyroclastic Hellion doesn’t seize control of opposing creatures, but it does provide a solid 4/5 body that can significantly affect the board state. Meanwhile, Embodiment of Fury is another card with land synergy, granting trample and turning lands into 3/3 creatures with haste. Yet, unlike the Hellion, it does not have the immediate board impact upon casting.
Ultimately, Pyroclastic Hellion offers a unique blend of aggressive stats and utility. It may not have the constant looming threat of a Shivan Dragon or the immediate game-changing abilities of Roil Elemental, but for players seeking both board presence and extra landfall triggers, it’s a card that harmonizes brute force with strategic resource management.
Cards similar to Pyroclastic Hellion by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Pyroclastic Hellion 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 Pyroclastic Hellion and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Pyroclastic Hellion 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 |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Pyroclastic Hellion 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 | In a Two-Headed Giant game, Pyroclastic Hellion’s ability causes the opposing team to lose 4 life. |
| 2020-09-25 | While resolving Pyroclastic Hellion’s ability, you can’t return more than one land to have it deal more damage. |
