M10 has an instant for 3 that does the same thing, and 10th edition has a sorcery for 2 that does this. Still, funny flavor text.
PeterRabit
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
This can target players as s hat
Grimn777
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
imagine those sorcery speed spells that cost XR. in mono red burn, they can only do total mountains minus 1 damage to a creature or player. where as late game, this can deal full damage, and still leave mana for other spells
Ruminite436
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
great finisher, superior to seismic strike because it can target players
Dingo777
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
as long as you have 5 mountains, this is lava axe
more mountains, hehe, fun times, fun times
Vinifera7
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Mono-red Lava Axe that can potentially be bigger and damage creatures as well.
bowlofgumbo
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(12 votes)
"M10 has an instant for 3 that does the same thing, and 10th edition has a sorcery for 2 that does this." Utter garbage. Please don't post non-sensical, blatantly untrue crap. Obviously this card costs more than the M10 alternative for one big reason: IT CAN TARGET PLAYERS. This one can win the game for you, where the M10 equivalent can take out a creature at best. More versitile for a higher CMC, seems fair; 4/5
FogRaider
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
The big question, though, is whether to use this or Unstable Footing.
AgesofThunder
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Apart from not being able to hit multiple targets, this card can be strictly better than fireball in mono-red. Where fireball would do 4 damage this would do 5, not to mention if you have MORE than five mountains this card wouldn't require you tap those. A decent card altogether. 4/5
Gaussgoat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Obviously powerful, really strong finisher and/or creature removal for mono red. I've enjoyed pulling this card every time it has come off the deck.
4.5/5
mdakw576
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is pretty much unplayable outside of mono red. But in mono red, this is a great finisher and a good card to top off the mana curve.
statiefreez
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(7 votes)
Yes, this does more damage than fireball late game. However, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOUR DECK IF YOU CAN'T KILL AN OPPONENT BEFORE YOU HAVE 5 MANA? THIS IS MONO RED! ALL PLAYERS SHOULD BE DEAD BEFORE THIS CARD CAN BE USED!
thedarkheathen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Almost always better than lava axe.
HairlessThoctar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Most times, Jaws of Stone is way better, even if it is a turn later, but why not run both :D
CeremonialBathory
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@statiefreez: Decks don't always behave like you want them to. In mono-red this is a one of card, at best. It's like having Corrupt in a mono-black deck. You only want one because if you draw in to it it's because your regular plans aren't working.
I'd prefer to use this in a Green / Red deck anyway, just like Valakut Ramp. Since you can pull out Mountains with your Forests you're bound to have enough mana to play this easily and have the mountains to make it kick. And even then it'd still be a one or two of card.
GrimjawxRULES
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@FogRaider: The big question (well, outside of limited anyway) is whether to use this or Jaws of Stone.
Not a bad card though, as Dingo 777 said, this becomes better the longer the game goes on. If you've been forced to focus your burn on your opponents' creatures, then this can deal huge chunks of damage late in the game.
Khultar
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
you people seem to not be thinking about situations where you have like 8 mountains in RED aggro, i mean its pretty efficient! 4/5
Hoonster
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The card seems . . underpowered compared to Corrupt which cost one more and deals damage AND gains life. I wish this was 4 cmc or something . . 3.5/5
DacenOctavio
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I've had this card for a while and it just doesn't fit into my red aggro decks; they never have the amount of land in play that makes this efficient vs Lava Axe. Perhaps someone could stick this into Valakut Ramp? I've simply never put this, nor Lava Axe for that matter, to good use because I like my burn cheap and fast. But I see how you could BBQ somebody with this and Reverberate.
I know it's an efficient card with rampable damage, but it costs too much for what it was originally designed for. statiefreez makes a valid point on tempo and mana curve; a Boros Bushwacker deck would never need this kind of finisher, nor would it be able to use it.
I can see a real application for this in Prismatic Omen Valakut Ramp because Primeval Titan is going to ramp this up by 2 damage every time it attacks.
Sunyveil
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
At first, I thought this was a pretty cool card because it's blaze + 1. However, that only works if all of your lands in play are mountains, which often isn't the case (because most of the time you aren't playing monored or you have nonbasics like teetering peaks in play)
TheWrathofShane
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@statiefreeze This gives you a finisher for lategame. Not every hand and situation are you going to win by turn 5. Mono-Red is fragile, and when turn 5 rolls around there sitting at 5 or so health and drop a Baneslayer, its gg unless your packing something like this.
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
this is my favorite of all the "spitting earth" remakes, because on turn 5 I could hit for 9 damage with a chandra's spitfire, but usually more if I have a cinder pyromancer out.
Equinox523
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a fine card in mono-red, and assuming you are running mostly Mountains, usually strictly superior to Lava Axe due to being able to target creatures as well. If the game does grind out longer than 5 turns, then you do have a solid finisher than is superior to Blaze and the like without the mana investment of most X-spells, if you are playing it no earlier than turn 5. Here's a little chart to outline the cost/benefits of this versus Blaze, assuming your manabase is all Mountains:
Spire Barrage 5 Mountains: for 5 damage (0 untapped) 6 Mountains: for 6 damage (1 untapped) 7 Mountains: for 7 damage (2 untapped) 8 Mountains: for 8 damage (3 untapped) 9 Mountains: for 9 damage (4 untapped) 10 Mountains: for 10 damage (5 untapped)
Blaze 5 Mountains: for 4 damage (0 untapped) 6 Mountains: for 5 damage (0 untapped) 7 Mountains: for 6 damage (0 untapped) 8 Mountains: for 7 damage (0 untapped) 9 Mountains: for 8 damage (0 untapped) 10 Mountains: for 9 damage (0 untapped)
Comments (23)
more mountains, hehe, fun times, fun times
Where fireball would do 4 damage this would do 5, not to mention if you have MORE than five mountains this card wouldn't require you tap those. A decent card altogether. 4/5
4.5/5
I'd prefer to use this in a Green / Red deck anyway, just like Valakut Ramp. Since you can pull out Mountains with your Forests you're bound to have enough mana to play this easily and have the mountains to make it kick. And even then it'd still be a one or two of card.
Not a bad card though, as Dingo 777 said, this becomes better the longer the game goes on. If you've been forced to focus your burn on your opponents' creatures, then this can deal huge chunks of damage late in the game.
3.5/5
I know it's an efficient card with rampable damage, but it costs too much for what it was originally designed for. statiefreez makes a valid point on tempo and mana curve; a Boros Bushwacker deck would never need this kind of finisher, nor would it be able to use it.
I can see a real application for this in Prismatic Omen Valakut Ramp because Primeval Titan is going to ramp this up by 2 damage every time it attacks.
Spire Barrage
5 Mountains:
6 Mountains:
7 Mountains:
8 Mountains:
9 Mountains:
10 Mountains:
Blaze
5 Mountains:
6 Mountains:
7 Mountains:
8 Mountains:
9 Mountains:
10 Mountains: