Man This Cat Is Wicked Cuz Late Game Red Needs This Kinda Stuff Im Really Impressed. Plus The Artwork Is Killer
Mode
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(23 votes)
It's definitely a playable card, but i'm merely going to criticize the reminder text here:
I never disliked anything Wizards did concerning changes in Magic's rulings or card des-criptions. I like the more flavorful general des-criptions like the battlefield, the exiled zone or spells being cast - wording that came with M10; and for instance i also like italic key words which show what a card is roughly doing. (Those first appeared back then in Saviors of Kamigawa) Yet i really don't like reminder texts that explain the rules with flavor instead of strict wording. Flavor is that part of a card that i either only want to see on a card's artwork or flavor text, or which should otherwise stay hidden in the ability and interpreted by the players accordingly. This takes away a Vorthos player's work, makes explications fuzzy and might also even appear childish at that point.
Yet Obsidian Fireheart being the only card with an reminder text like that in Zendikar, i guess Wizards is still waiting for player's reactions. I for my part really dislike that idea and hope that Magic will never get used to such types of reminder texts. It's so wrong in many ways in my opinion.
Ruztyz
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(10 votes)
For one, I find that Wotc is stamping too many cards with "MYTHIC". I mean, I can understand Lotus Cobra, or Ob Nixilis, but I really don't get how this deserves to be mythic. "The land continues to burn..."
iandustrial
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Now Rock Hydra has a companion in the ridiculous templating category.
brunsbr103
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
This guy really isn't bad at all. Think of how many times you've been playing red and have had a little extra mana later on in the game. Plus, he's a 4/4 for only four mana.
madformedusa
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(10 votes)
4/4 for 4cc is good, but for red i think I'd rather play a dragon or something with trample, haste, etc.
The reminder text is a gimmick pure and simple. Also, shouldn't be mythic.....in fact, mythic shouldn't even be a card rarity at all. But that's a whole different story...
3/5 because I'm feeling bitter about this whole deal.
Asinine-Ultimatum
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(7 votes)
There is nothing wrong with the reminder text at all. No one can honestly claim that they didn't understand exactly what it meant when they read it. It clarifies the function of the ability clearly and in fewer words than the strict and technical wording would have required. I wish you old magic players wouldn't be so bitchy about new things.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Yeah, the reminder text is really weird, but I kinda like it to be honest. As for the card itself, it's not half bad, and will probably find a home in some RDW variant. 4/5
ratchet1215
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(8 votes)
Pretty interesting card...and sorry to be a killjoy, Wizards, but I think you should keep your flavor out of the official reminder text that should be clarifying our misunderstanding of the card and not causing it. I agree to some extent with Mode in that the text talks down to us, as if we couldn't interpret for ourselves that a red card with "fire" in its name, a "blaze" counter, and damage-dealing have something to do with burning. I agree with giving the card reminder text, as this might be a slightly confusing ability for newbies who are used to effects shutting down once their source leaves the battlefield, but there was a better way to do this.
Again, I feel like the lameass who can't bring himself to have any fun, but the places for flavor are the card's name, its art, the flavor text, and our imaginations, and not in the clarify-what-happens-because-I-already-don't-understand-this-and-please-don't-make-it-any-more-confusing text.
BambooNickel
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
awesome reminder text 5/5
Volcre
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Not a bad card, but a horribly designed one at that. The reminder text is trying to be cool when in reality its just annoying. And it's power level doesn't seem near Mythic. Sure it's a unique ability bit I can't see anyone's jaw dropping at this card...
Lestat13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This could of been a format shaper if the activation cost was 1R and not 1RR.
Gezus82
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
I can't believe people are saying this card is bad and that the main discussion is about its reminder text. This card is amazing. 4 mana means it'l be showing up early in the game, and its effect causes damage every turn instead of one shot burn spells that are more common.
Also there is no way to stop the damage. killing him won't do it and since they're counters you can't destroy them like enchantments. The only way to get stop it would be to save yourself would be to destroy the lands and if your using spells to destroy your own lands you might as well throw in the towel.
The only problem is that his ability is expensive and to use it every turn would slow down developing your game further. But thats wizards trying to keep the balance. If the ability had just one less R in its cost it would b incredibly overpowered.
Zsoro
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has the best card art ever! Never seen anything cooler than that, and its a great card
JacksJokeShop
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I agree that it should have a keyword like Haste or Trample etc, but that being said, I still really like this card. He has flavor and an ability that is both useful and repeatable and continues to be good once he dies. I like him, 4/5.
ChuckMickey
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
4CMC,4/4, 1/2 a psychic venom at least once land a turn, plus the flavor rule is pretty sweet i think. 4.5/5
MrPink343
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
Wow, really people? Anybody who doesn't get the phrase "the land continues to burn" after a paragraph of explanatory text probably should not be playing a game as complex as Magic. It's a minor digression that greatly enhances the flavor of the card. Getcher collective panties unbunched.
mike_stubbs1
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(11 votes)
The reminder text is entirely unambiguous. If you don't like it, just don't read it again - it's reminder text after all. The idea that this is somehow a problem is ridiculous.
Bauble
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Got him at the Pre-release and he won me a few games. He was usually Cancelled though. But once he does get out, the fun begins.
I honestly have no idea why there's such an uproar about the reminder text. I for one, actually like it. It's almost as if it has its own individual text. What's wrong with that? Either way, I think everyone's making a mountain out of a molehill on this one.
JohnnyDiscard
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Nobody's mentioned it yet, but the ability's damage done is (generally) going to be colorless. That is pretty sweet.
Vinifera7
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It is possible that the designers simply ran out of room for text on the card and this was the best compromise while still explaining to players that the burning effect stays even when Obsidian Fireheart leaves the battlefield. Since this sort of thing doesn't happen all the time, it's also kind of quirky and fun.
GrimjawxRULES
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(6 votes)
Great card; a 4/4 for is pretty sweet in many red decks I can come up with, and its ability is awesome as well, dealing loads of damage over time if you have the spare mana to use it. Sure, it's expensive, but you can always use it at the end step of your opponent's turn in case they didn't play anything interesting to shoot at.
The reminder text is probably what made it go all the way up to mythic rare. I've never seen flavor through the reminder text before (and I'm pretty sure this is the first card with a flavorful reminder), but I think it looks hell awesome. As long as you understand what it does, I think it's a great addition to the dept of the game. Of course, I can imagine countless scenarios where new players wouldn't understand what it precisely meant, but to be honest, I think Wizards should do this more often, maybe printing a rules card or two, explaining the precise meaning of this, in the boosters so that new players wouldn't screw up when playing with this.
Mythic Rares aren't Mythic simply because they're the strongest cards, but because they're special. That's why you'll find that many Mythic Rares are Legendary permanents - to create more fun flavor.
Dingo777
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
ok, so ignoreing the complaints about the flavor/reminder text, it sounds like people are likeing this card
AND WITH GOOD REASON
it is a 4/4 for 4, meaning it is gonna hurt when it hits, out of lightning bolt range and even if its size wasnt pressure enough, you want to kill it before it sets your lands on fire, or it will slowly start burning its way through your life
imagine this turn 3 (it is possible, a bird turn 1, 2 trace on turn 2, turn 3, this and 2 open mana) now that is 6 mana, meaning you can drop its ability twice on turn 4, or once and drop some creatures, swing, they are already at 16 on your next turn, and now you have 8 mana, 2 more blaze, and you pump out more creatures/spells and you keep going, even if this dies, that is still 4 dmg each of their turns guarenteed, that is 1/5 their starting life, a turn, what makes lava axe so powerful? it is 1/4 their life, usually more by turn 5, enough counters, and this is a lava axe each turn
my point it gets nutty, and the only way to stop the burn is bounce the lands, ie. warpworld, or you could destroy your own lands
it would be nice if it also made the lands mountians instead of what they normally are, tap for red mana, and they burn you, would screw up mana bases
f_fivefiftyseven
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(19 votes)
Ok, a lot of people are hating this card, either because of the reminder text or because its not at a "Mythic Power Level" (ironically, these people are probably the same people who complain about the Baneslayer). Yet the truth is that Mythic Cards are supposed to be something special, not necessarilly powerful. One of the most powerful red spells in the game is A COMMON. This card is very balanced, very usefull (a 4/4 for 4 with an ability that does not require tapping), and while it won't win you the game on your own, it will tip the balance in your favour (if you can even get this guy's ability off once, you put your opponent on a max 20 turn clock, and that's worst case scenario).
Also, like many Mythic Cards, this guy is full of flavour. In a set where land's are incredibly important, he almost has the opposite effect, PUNISHING opponents for having lands. The blaze counter's represent the land being set alight, and think of it this way, if you're a planeswalker, and you're bonded to a damaged land, you will be damaged as well.
Although this guy is not overly powerful, he's nowhere near useless. I'm currently looking to get a playset for my Red/Green Zendikar deck. One of the most balanced Mythic's I've ever seen
The_Seeker17
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
The whole thing about the reminder text is stupid. I mean come on, what do we normally call cards at deal damage in Magic? BURN SPELLS. So it only stand to reason with a card that puts counters on a land and makes that land deal damage that the thing about "the land still burns" means that the land still deals damage when the creature leaves play. I personally like the reminder text and hope they do more like it.
own-dizzle
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The artwork of Raymond Swanland makes cards 5/5 be default.
Well, in terms of magic this guy isn't a 5/5, but a 4/4 for a 4 isn't too shabby if you're going mono or heavy red; the burn ability is very nice to use up otherwise useless mana.... but he's not TOO awesome other than the artwork.
darkfury
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(13 votes)
this dude is strictly for breaking a late game stalemate, as the more mana you have, the hotter the blaze he can create using napalm
he should be legendary. you dont say An Obsidian Fireheart, you say THE Obsidian Fireheart
he creates brush fires, forest infernos, volcanic eruptions, methane conflagurations, and tectonic upheavals. he isnt used to deal damage, he is created to destroy worlds. i put this in my under-rated folder along with Hateflayer, as they both do something useful and very powerful.
thanks to ruling, if you have 7 mana when you play this, 5 of which must be red, you can drop a blaze counter on one of the opponent's lands add 3 mana for each consecutive token
Donovan_Fabian
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Ok, are you all seriously concerned about the reminder text as being issue? Wotc already keeps that to a minimum, and the reminder text isn't confusing, and the card isn't confusing even without it. Secondly, of course it's mythic rare, do you see that activated ability?! It's the same power as underworld dreams.. in a creature, who can use it multiple times! Not only that, but the ability doesn't require tapping, if you have six mana and four of it red, you can place two counters on a land the turn after it hits play. Only 2 or 3 turns after obisidian fireheart is on the battlefield, the opponent is taking like 6 - 7 damage a turn and can only prevent it by destroying their own lands, which is pretty rare and more detrimental in most cases than taking the damage. Plus the fact that the counters stay around after the obsidian fireheart dies makes it slightly more effective vs. removal, as if you get to use its ability even one or two times your getting some use out of it. If nothing else it's still a 4/4 for 4 mana, and that never hurts.
I run this in a red burn deck with mana acceleration via Gauntlet of Power and Soulbright Flamekin and it works wonders. It's no laughing matter for an opponent when they take around 6 damage per upkeep. And it is well balanced as a 4/4 for 4. Great card.
LG
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
@GrantAres: blaze counters don't stack, read the rulings.
HairlessThoctar
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Anyone who doesn't immediately understand the reminder text is probably better off playing a much simpler TCG.
Amazing card. Should control return in Worldwake, this guy make make for a good finisher for red decks that usually have no late game otherwise.
<3 tapless sinks.
Hand_Bannana
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
i dont mind the flavor text. i had a similar problem with rimescale dragon and the ice counters. only with rimescale dragon the ice counters dont matter if hes not in play. its nice to have it on the card so its not a debate that you have to come here look up in the middle of a game.
MizoreIceQueen
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
honestly, while reading the card i didn't even notice the reminder text until I looked up the card on gatherer (ironically to check if it kept "burning" after obsidian fireheart left the battlefield, I was thinking about picking up a playset) xD but anyways, I actually like the text now that I look back, great art, very strong card... it might be exactly what I need to beat my friends control deck :D
keep on burning my friend!
Love this guy, he got nice P/T, nice mana cost, art looks cool, and look!! OMG is pure FIRE!!! Red wins
Snaxme
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Not at Mythic power level? Screw you. Look at Lorthos. He sucks. Look at Kalithas. He's overpriced. This guy is efficient, no negative drawbacks, and has a VERY good mana sink, that can dizimate an opponent's life total if he lets the game drag too long. Besides, Mythic isn't supposed to mean "overpowered". It's supposed to mean flavourful, or be a relevant character in the Magic storyline.
Nuf' said.
4/5
gongshowninja
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
Burn, baby, burn!
Robert_G
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
There is no red deck that wouldn't benefit from this guy.
Unquestionable 5/5.
NeoSin
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
:*( <----could you people do some more of this over some italicized words? Does this make you cry too? Seriously, get over it. Solid card, interesting combos could be made out of it. Terra Eternal comboed with this could be devastating to the opponent.
Neutralion
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
On of the best cards both at red AND at whole magic. Not speaking of artwork.
RowanKeltizar
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
I love this card. Adds a whole new dimension to burning your opponent to ashes. Heartstone
eak1801
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(7 votes)
I run a Braid of Fire deck for casual 2HG. This is one of my favorite creatures to drop. If they have removal, they use it. It's not even "that bad" to have 1-3 lands burning in 2HG, but people really, really don't want you to. So fun. 4/4 for 4 cmc is no joke either. 5/5
Sidecutte
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(20 votes)
"The land continues to BURN..."
Oh is that a new keyword?
capitalR
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(5 votes)
blaze counters, what the F*** am I playing Pokemon?
SereneChaos
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
I vote second best reminder text ever (after that Un-card about reminder text whoze name I can't remember). "The land continues to burn..."
Iduno
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Been looking at the reminder and thinking...
Doesn't this mean that even after the player using Obsidian Fireheart is killed in a multiplayer game, those blaze counters still keep burning away?
If so, that is all kinds of awesome.
bungl3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Quote: Doesn't this mean that even after the player using Obsidian Fireheart is killed in a multiplayer game, those blaze counters still keep burning away?
Anyone have an answer? or theories?
LordAlvon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love the art. Raymond Swanland is a beast.
The ability is sick, too.
Chosen_of_the_Dark_Sun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just making sure, but putting additional counters on with Proliferate won't up the damage, will it?
keiyakins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like the flavor/reminder text hybrid. Sure, it's not as precise as it could be as reminder text, but it's short, and gets the point across. It's a little lacking as flavor text, but it puts something flavorful - this thing is starting the fire, but once it's going, it's, you know, fire - that might otherwise need deeper understanding of the rules to get right onto the card.
It's an extreme example of how flavor and rules can prop each other up, and I think I'll remember it for next time I need an example.
ZombieSnail
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"The Land continues to burn" I've seen this card dozens of times without noticing that, my friend had to tell me about it. Aside from the unspeakably awesome reminder text, this is still a decent mythic for red. Great art too. 4/5
KingRusty
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Any deck utilizing any red mana could benefit from this furnace. The burner that keeps on burnin'. Deep-fried or extra crispy?
The flavor text is no problem. The whole point of it is to be a quick reference that can stave off lengthy rules debates. If it can do this by playing off the various flavor cues, then great. It's easy to understand what's going on: flaming beast leaves a fiery wake behind it. There's no need to be more precise than "continues to burn", as the reminder text does not define the rules.
The problem is the card itself; it's bad. A vanilla 4/4 for four mana isn't anywhere near playable in constructed -- Leatherback Baloth laughs at this creature. So it's upon the ability to save the Fireheart. Paying three to set up a delayed trigger for one damage is a lot (actually, it's seven for the first one). You can speed up the clock by dumping tons more mana into this ability, but it seriously pales in comparison to just playing burn spells and better creatures. Play him turn four; place one counter turn five; place two counters turn six -- this is turn six, and he's done a whopping one damage, with three more on the opponet's upkeep. That's an ultra-efficient four damage for thirteen mana! And why isn't the game over by this point? It could have been, provided you were playing decent cards.
Obsidian Fireheart is like a pathetic imitation Masticore or Arc-Slogger. The only reason it's mythic is because of the gimmicky reminder text.
hedronMatrix
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Now, question, lets say that I would die in a multiplayer, does the blaze counters stay on the opponents?
Condor_96
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"The land continues to burn."
What an amazing piece of reminder text. I love this card's flavor.
ClockworkSwordfish
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(6 votes)
The reminder text is awesome. Back in the day, we had Rock Hydra and Floral Spuzzem and liked it.
SoulShatterer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
4/4 for 4 with a mana-only ability that wins games in a turn or two. This is the sort of thing that deserves mythic status.
The thing about this card is just how many different defenses it completely bypasses. Circle of Protection (orsimilareffects)? No problem, the damage is colorless. Even if they actually use the one circle effect that would work, the damage comes in a whole lot of one-point increments, so it'll get expensive.
Energy Field? The source of the damage is the lands themselves, which they control.
Runed Halo? They're probably playing more than one kind of land; just blaze the ones they didn't name.
And even if they kill the Fireheart itself, as the reminder text says, the lands continue to burn. It's really tough to get rid of the counters without also getting rid of the lands.
I'd think that red decks would sideboard this against players with too-strong defenses. Just use the burn spells that you can't hit the player with against their creatures to drag the game out, and wait for this to kill them.
NeoKoda
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(25 votes)
The reminder text is the best part of the card.
TheManakinTransfer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strange question. In EDH, if I burn opponents lands and then end up dying do they continue wearing away at them? Could I effectively get a kill from beyond the grave?
Chaka-K-Rock
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
sick card, love it in some mono-red decks
axiobeta
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Best reminder text ever. This thing doesn't even need Swanland art to be epic.
ICEFANG13
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
If you lose the game, all of your permanents will leave the battlefield and, well I guess that's it, as the card says, "The land will continue to burn" even without Obsidian Fireheart, and even without you, the land still burns.
Zacklar
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Not the pit, it BUUUUUUUUUUURNS!!!!
acemanner
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
New meaning to the words "mana burn"
aPimpNamedEmrakul
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I realize it's been overdone... heh. "Obsidian Fireheart was mortally wounded... but the land still burns."
luca_barelli
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
reminds me of the odd wording on old Alpha cards. pretty cool, to be honest.
I hate the wording on this card. Not the "continues to burn" reminder text; that's awesome. I hate that the ability as written leads to rulings that make no sense flavor-wise if the blaze counters get moved onto other lands. "It's burning! OW IT BURNS!" (fire moves to a different land) "Ahhh, this new burning land isn't nearly as painful as that other burning land. I'm on vacation over here."
This card should have been made: "For the rest of the game, lands with blaze counters on them have 'At the beginning of your upkeep, this land deals 1 damage to you.' : Put a blaze counter on target land."
They already had the "for the rest of the game" ability (now called "emblems") on Elspeth, Knight-Errant one block earlier in Shards of Alara.
NoobOfLore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Apeshit bananas.
Superllama12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Shouldn't this be an emblem?
dingophone
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(11 votes)
Honestly, one of the best Mythics ever printed. Very flavourful, fun and balanced. 5/5
sarroth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It is very unintuitive that the effect will still occur even after that player who owns Obsidian Fireheart has been removed from the game. Aside from playing a Ravnica bounce land, I really want simply bum-rushing you with creatures to be my saving grace from this guy. But I guess that's why it's a Mythic, and not just a rare.
Lord_of_Tresserhorn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Obsidian the Burninator is burninating the countryside...
When I read his reminder text I can't help but think of him going all Flame Hyenard (from one of the Megaman X games): BURN! BURN! BURN TO THE GROUND! BURN TO THE GROUND! BURN!
This guy is Mythic because of the goofy reminder text.
Edit: Combos with R&D's Secret Lair and a lighter. Duh.
Kirbster
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(4 votes)
I know they were trying to be "cute" with the reminder text, but you know it's a bad idea if they have an oracle ruling anyway that explains what the reminder text means.
CorkBulb
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Burn baby, burn!
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Michael Kelso, Burn-omancer 2RRRR
Legendary Creature- Idiot
R, T: Burn target artifact, creature or land. (Put a blaze counter on it, etc..)
RRR, T: Burn target planeswalker or player.
RRRRR, T: Burn target Burn (that's a SECOND DEGREE BURN!) <- strictly better reminder text than Obsidian Fireheart's.
Errata: yes, blaze counters can have blaze counters on them. freakin' pyros. -_-
"The land continues to burn..." That's awesome. Reminds me of Rock Hydra.
Salient
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
This breaks the flavortext-remindertext barrier like the thunder of an angry god. Can you imagine the R&D conversation?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rules Dweeb: "B-b-but 'burn' isn't even an officially recognized verb... Are we sure it'll be alright to print this?"
MaRo: Yes. Alert the printer. Summon the judges. Gather the Q&A staff! The obsidian is shining, a new storm is gathering, the plains are blazing, and as of right now, as of this day... we can do anything. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Citing Urza's Saga, development later canned 'do anything' privileges, for "balance" reasons.
Totema
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@Lifegain: Mythic rarity is based on how awesome the card is, not how good it is. If you can't see that here, you lack imagination.
mr8658
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Duh @SereneChaos this is the card you talking about, most likely . and cool card 4/5
SAUS3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Lifegainwithbite What Totema said, but also, it's a 4/4 for 4 in mono-red. That's pretty dang good. This could be your top of the curve in RDW. If it sticks, light up some lands. In RDW, that 1 or 2 damage per turn can very easily be the reason you finish off your opponent.
The art on this card, all the red symbols, even the mythic colour for the set symbol is red! This card is beautiful and awesome. It may not have made an appearance in standard, but I've seen it in a few EDH decks (still on the fence for one of my decks, but it's currently in one of mine too), and I'm absolutely certain some kid pulled one in a booster and it's still his favourite card.
KvotheBloodless
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I don't know if this has been caught yet, but the reason this is a mythic is probably because the card makes mana burn come back. People talk about Braid of Fire. That card was balanced because of mana burn. This and Braid of Fire together is the point. Very powerful, solid, yes. But it's a mythic because it is mana burn.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Totema: So a card with cool flavour and nice art doesn't deserve to have a decent ability and to be playable in constructed? What kind of logic is that? Clearly, you're the one who lacks imagination if you can't think of an ability that would be playable and still fit the flavour of the card. Having a playable ability would not make this card's flavour and art any less awesome and it would mean that people opening boosters wouldn't be upset to see it.
@Sai3: Okay let's compare this card to Hellrider or Ghor-Clan Rampager which are both current standard staples. Why would you choose this card over them? And again, having nice art and flavour is great but it doesn't mean this card had to be underpowered. Mythics should have nice art, flavour and a decent ability.
Minus7
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Enelysios: If an ability refers to a card that has already been referred to by the same ability, it has the same meaning as 'that card/permanent/etc.' so yes, they will continue to burn.
Enelysios
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
EDIT: Thanks Minus7!
I have a question about this I cannot find an answer to. Its slightly old, so I doubt anyone will respond very soon, but what happens if I place a burn counter on a land and it later ceases to be a land? Say my opponent has some saprolings and a Life and Limb out, I place blaze counters on the saprolings then destroy the Life and Limb? The ability to place the counter specifies a land, and it says "As long as that land..." but I see no reason the creature would lose the ability later. (Unlike say an equipment or aura that is attached to an illegal target) so the creatures would then continue to burn when they are not lands, right?
I have rarely been stumped by rules, but this just seems off to me.
As for the actual card, I absolutely love it. Its fun, solid for its mana cost and has the best reminder text ever. (Rock Hydra may give it a run though and Sphinx of Jwar Isle is good) I built an elemental tribal deck around it and won some casual games with it, sure puts the pressure on your opponents.
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Something I'd note is that this tragically does not have the ability to hit planeswalkers. I came back to this card (still one of my favorite creatures, between art, ability, and power) hoping to post an insightful bit of info on walkers; but then noticed the land has the ability.
Sad times; I guess that burn this guy provided free's up a bolt for that walker though yeah?
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It has a pretty good, underestimated ability. It might not get blasted right away, depending. Hold for creature burns and then to burn a land at end of turn, next turn burn 2 lands. Thats a Lightning Bolt a turn, and will probably win you the game.
Comments (105)
I never disliked anything Wizards did concerning changes in Magic's rulings or card des-criptions.
I like the more flavorful general des-criptions like the battlefield, the exiled zone or spells being cast - wording that came with M10; and for instance i also like italic key words which show what a card is roughly doing. (Those first appeared back then in Saviors of Kamigawa)
Yet i really don't like reminder texts that explain the rules with flavor instead of strict wording.
Flavor is that part of a card that i either only want to see on a card's artwork or flavor text, or which should otherwise stay hidden in the ability and interpreted by the players accordingly. This takes away a Vorthos player's work, makes explications fuzzy and might also even appear childish at that point.
Yet Obsidian Fireheart being the only card with an reminder text like that in Zendikar, i guess Wizards is still waiting for player's reactions. I for my part really dislike that idea and hope that Magic will never get used to such types of reminder texts. It's so wrong in many ways in my opinion.
"The land continues to burn..."
The reminder text is a gimmick pure and simple. Also, shouldn't be mythic.....in fact, mythic shouldn't even be a card rarity at all. But that's a whole different story...
3/5 because I'm feeling bitter about this whole deal.
Again, I feel like the lameass who can't bring himself to have any fun, but the places for flavor are the card's name, its art, the flavor text, and our imaginations, and not in the clarify-what-happens-because-I-already-don't-understand-this-and-please-don't-make-it-any-more-confusing text.
5/5
This card is amazing. 4 mana means it'l be showing up early in the game, and its effect causes damage every turn instead of one shot burn spells that are more common.
Also there is no way to stop the damage. killing him won't do it and since they're counters you can't destroy them like enchantments. The only way to get stop it would be to save yourself would be to destroy the lands and if your using spells to destroy your own lands you might as well throw in the towel.
The only problem is that his ability is expensive and to use it every turn would slow down developing your game further. But thats wizards trying to keep the balance. If the ability had just one less R in its cost it would b incredibly overpowered.
Never seen anything cooler than that, and its a great card
I honestly have no idea why there's such an uproar about the reminder text. I for one, actually like it. It's almost as if it has its own individual text. What's wrong with that? Either way, I think everyone's making a mountain out of a molehill on this one.
The reminder text is probably what made it go all the way up to mythic rare. I've never seen flavor through the reminder text before (and I'm pretty sure this is the first card with a flavorful reminder), but I think it looks hell awesome. As long as you understand what it does, I think it's a great addition to the dept of the game. Of course, I can imagine countless scenarios where new players wouldn't understand what it precisely meant, but to be honest, I think Wizards should do this more often, maybe printing a rules card or two, explaining the precise meaning of this, in the boosters so that new players wouldn't screw up when playing with this.
Mythic Rares aren't Mythic simply because they're the strongest cards, but because they're special. That's why you'll find that many Mythic Rares are Legendary permanents - to create more fun flavor.
AND WITH GOOD REASON
it is a 4/4 for 4, meaning it is gonna hurt when it hits, out of lightning bolt range and even if its size wasnt pressure enough, you want to kill it before it sets your lands on fire, or it will slowly start burning its way through your life
imagine this turn 3 (it is possible, a bird turn 1, 2 trace on turn 2, turn 3, this and 2 open mana) now that is 6 mana, meaning you can drop its ability twice on turn 4, or once and drop some creatures, swing, they are already at 16 on your next turn, and now you have 8 mana, 2 more blaze, and you pump out more creatures/spells and you keep going, even if this dies, that is still 4 dmg each of their turns guarenteed, that is 1/5 their starting life, a turn, what makes lava axe so powerful? it is 1/4 their life, usually more by turn 5, enough counters, and this is a lava axe each turn
my point it gets nutty, and the only way to stop the burn is bounce the lands, ie. warpworld, or you could destroy your own lands
it would be nice if it also made the lands mountians instead of what they normally are, tap for red mana, and they burn you, would screw up mana bases
Also, like many Mythic Cards, this guy is full of flavour. In a set where land's are incredibly important, he almost has the opposite effect, PUNISHING opponents for having lands. The blaze counter's represent the land being set alight, and think of it this way, if you're a planeswalker, and you're bonded to a damaged land, you will be damaged as well.
Although this guy is not overly powerful, he's nowhere near useless. I'm currently looking to get a playset for my Red/Green Zendikar deck. One of the most balanced Mythic's I've ever seen
Well, in terms of magic this guy isn't a 5/5, but a 4/4 for a 4 isn't too shabby if you're going mono or heavy red; the burn ability is very nice to use up otherwise useless mana.... but he's not TOO awesome other than the artwork.
he should be legendary. you dont say An Obsidian Fireheart, you say THE Obsidian Fireheart
he creates brush fires, forest infernos, volcanic eruptions, methane conflagurations, and tectonic upheavals. he isnt used to deal damage, he is created to destroy worlds. i put this in my under-rated folder along with Hateflayer, as they both do something useful and very powerful.
thanks to ruling, if you have 7 mana when you play this, 5 of which must be red, you can drop a blaze counter on one of the opponent's lands add 3 mana for each consecutive token
Amazing card.
Should control return in Worldwake, this guy make make for a good finisher for red decks that usually have no late game otherwise.
<3 tapless sinks.
keep on burning my friend!
Nuf' said.
4/5
Unquestionable 5/5.
Oh is that a new keyword?
Doesn't this mean that even after the player using Obsidian Fireheart is killed in a multiplayer game, those blaze counters still keep burning away?
If so, that is all kinds of awesome.
Doesn't this mean that even after the player using Obsidian Fireheart is killed in a multiplayer game, those blaze counters still keep burning away?
Anyone have an answer? or theories?
The ability is sick, too.
It's an extreme example of how flavor and rules can prop each other up, and I think I'll remember it for next time I need an example.
I've seen this card dozens of times without noticing that, my friend had to tell me about it.
Aside from the unspeakably awesome reminder text, this is still a decent mythic for red. Great art too.
4/5
The problem is the card itself; it's bad. A vanilla 4/4 for four mana isn't anywhere near playable in constructed -- Leatherback Baloth laughs at this creature. So it's upon the ability to save the Fireheart. Paying three to set up a delayed trigger for one damage is a lot (actually, it's seven for the first one). You can speed up the clock by dumping tons more mana into this ability, but it seriously pales in comparison to just playing burn spells and better creatures. Play him turn four; place one counter turn five; place two counters turn six -- this is turn six, and he's done a whopping one damage, with three more on the opponet's upkeep. That's an ultra-efficient four damage for thirteen mana! And why isn't the game over by this point? It could have been, provided you were playing decent cards.
Obsidian Fireheart is like a pathetic imitation Masticore or Arc-Slogger. The only reason it's mythic is because of the gimmicky reminder text.
What an amazing piece of reminder text. I love this card's flavor.
Player has shroud or hexproof (such as from Leyline of Sanctity, Imperial Mask, or Spirit of the Hearth? Not a problem; you're targeting the lands, not them.
Energy Field? The source of the damage is the lands themselves, which they control.
Runed Halo? They're probably playing more than one kind of land; just blaze the ones they didn't name.
And even if they kill the Fireheart itself, as the reminder text says, the lands continue to burn. It's really tough to get rid of the counters without also getting rid of the lands.
I'd think that red decks would sideboard this against players with too-strong defenses. Just use the burn spells that you can't hit the player with against their creatures to drag the game out, and wait for this to kill them.
"Obsidian Fireheart was mortally wounded... but the land still burns."
This card should have been made:
"For the rest of the game, lands with blaze counters on them have 'At the beginning of your upkeep, this land deals 1 damage to you.'
They already had the "for the rest of the game" ability (now called "emblems") on Elspeth, Knight-Errant one block earlier in Shards of Alara.
Edit: Combos with R&D's Secret Lair and a lighter. Duh.
Legendary Creature- Idiot
R, T: Burn target artifact, creature or land. (Put a blaze counter on it, etc..)
RRR, T: Burn target planeswalker or player.
RRRRR, T: Burn target Burn (that's a SECOND DEGREE BURN!) <- strictly better reminder text than Obsidian Fireheart's.
Errata: yes, blaze counters can have blaze counters on them. freakin' pyros. -_-
That's awesome. Reminds me of Rock Hydra.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rules Dweeb: "B-b-but 'burn' isn't even an officially recognized verb... Are we sure it'll be alright to print this?"
MaRo: Yes. Alert the printer. Summon the judges. Gather the Q&A staff! The obsidian is shining, a new storm is gathering, the plains are blazing, and as of right now, as of this day... we can do anything.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Citing Urza's Saga, development later canned 'do anything' privileges, for "balance" reasons.
@SereneChaos
this is the card you talking about, most likely .
and cool card 4/5
What Totema said, but also, it's a 4/4 for 4 in mono-red. That's pretty dang good. This could be your top of the curve in RDW. If it sticks, light up some lands. In RDW, that 1 or 2 damage per turn can very easily be the reason you finish off your opponent.
The art on this card, all the red symbols, even the mythic colour for the set symbol is red! This card is beautiful and awesome. It may not have made an appearance in standard, but I've seen it in a few EDH decks (still on the fence for one of my decks, but it's currently in one of mine too), and I'm absolutely certain some kid pulled one in a booster and it's still his favourite card.
@Sai3: Okay let's compare this card to Hellrider or Ghor-Clan Rampager which are both current standard staples. Why would you choose this card over them? And again, having nice art and flavour is great but it doesn't mean this card had to be underpowered. Mythics should have nice art, flavour and a decent ability.
I have a question about this I cannot find an answer to. Its slightly old, so I doubt anyone will respond very soon, but what happens if I place a burn counter on a land and it later ceases to be a land? Say my opponent has some saprolings and a Life and Limb out, I place blaze counters on the saprolings then destroy the Life and Limb? The ability to place the counter specifies a land, and it says "As long as that land..." but I see no reason the creature would lose the ability later. (Unlike say an equipment or aura that is attached to an illegal target) so the creatures would then continue to burn when they are not lands, right?
I have rarely been stumped by rules, but this just seems off to me.
As for the actual card, I absolutely love it. Its fun, solid for its mana cost and has the best reminder text ever. (Rock Hydra may give it a run though and Sphinx of Jwar Isle is good) I built an elemental tribal deck around it and won some casual games with it, sure puts the pressure on your opponents.
Sad times; I guess that burn this guy provided free's up a bolt for that walker though yeah?
such a missed opportunity