THE dominant card of Invasion Block Constructed. Nice to see it reprinted in the new card frame!
Tommy9898
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
It looks so much better in that frame for some reason, really makes it stand out.
f_fivefiftyseven
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Quick question, if you played a creature with this out, attack with the creature, and then sacrifice this card after you've declared your creature as an attacker, or would that mean that they are no longer a valid attacker?
Belz_
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@f_fivefiftyseven
Nope. It's already attacking, so it can't be un-done.
achilleselbow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So I'm aware that this card drove the best deck in Invasion block, and I've looked at the decklists for an idea of how it works (Blastoderm, Saproling Burst, etc), but was the sacrifice ability actually an integral part of the deck? Because if not, how come Fervor isn't rated nearly as high when it's essentially the same thing and easier to cast?
PaladinZane
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The +2/+2 wasn't essential, but this card was very prevalent in Green Heavy decks, making it just as easy to cast most of the time, and the +2/+2 might be just the push you need to finish off an opponent. Really no reason not to choose this over Fervor for the type of decks this ran in.
land_comment
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Whoah. This was printed in archenemy and planechase.
jfre81
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Turn-two this with some ramp and your mana elves can start bringing each other out one after the other.
RedJaron
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Achilles, in strictest sense, no, the sac ability wasn't integral to Fires decks back then. However, when compared to Fervor, the sac ability makes it that much more attractive for the same converted cost. But even while not the essence of the deck, it could often be the extra boost to win, either by saving a creature from a burn or giving that last two combat damage to win. And running four Fires meant you'd likely have another in hand or already on the board.
Yes, the dual-color cost makes Fires more "difficult" to cast, but cards like Blastoderm and Saproling Burst were the cards you wanted to haste. Basically, if you wanted mass haste, you ran red anyway for Fervor. But to make the best use of the haste in the Masques and Invasion blocks, you'd want green. At that point, there's no reason to choose Fervor over Fires.
As for the actual rating average, it probably has something to do with the nostalgia of the card. While Fires decks rarely won the big tournaments, they often placed in the top five so the card became more iconic than Fervor. The Fires + Saproling Burst combo became known as "The Fix" at the time because countering three attacking 4/4 on T4 ( T3 if you had a perfect draw in some formats, ) was extremely hard to deal with.
infernox10
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Achilles To sum up what people have said and add a bit to it: The +2/+2 wasn't needed in that deck, it was simply extra incentive. All the green spells getting haste were so wanting to have haste, that a R/G deck just worked extremely well. Additionally, this caused multiple copies of the Enchantment not redundant. Pulling two versions of Fervor in one hand would be pretty bad. Two FoY is never bad, since you have either option.
jetzine
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
WHY THE SAC IS RELEVANT:
Fires was traditionally played in the context of efficient, undercosted, BIG creature threats like Blastoderm ( for 5 power) or Shivan Wurm ( for 7 power). Or cards like Saproling Burst, which net you 12 damage for 5 mana when the tokens have haste.
You're probably thinking that 5 damage on turn 3 followed by 17 on turn 4 will get you there. This is generally the case (or the fix, as it was called), but Fires doesn't always get those kinds of draws. The thing that enables a total shut-out in a strong matchup where the opponent is capable of neutralizing some of these threats quickly is the extra 2 points of damage. It's that extra 2 damage that pushes it over the edge, even if its on a lone Birds of Paradise flying over their team. It's an instant speed ability, and it has the ability to come out of nowhere. It also makes the playing of multiple Fires in the mid-late game a viable thing.
The Fires deck is the ultimate R/G aggro deck in my opinion. It combines brute force with ferocious speed. It's about blowing your opponent out with more damage than they can count early in the game, and that extra 2 points goes the distance. Trust me.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The +2/+2 essentially makes drawing multiples playable, so you can run x3 or x4 without caring.
It also brings you that much extra reach to bash player or win trades.
Comments (12)
Nope. It's already attacking, so it can't be un-done.
Yes, the dual-color cost makes Fires more "difficult" to cast, but cards like Blastoderm and Saproling Burst were the cards you wanted to haste. Basically, if you wanted mass haste, you ran red anyway for Fervor. But to make the best use of the haste in the Masques and Invasion blocks, you'd want green. At that point, there's no reason to choose Fervor over Fires.
As for the actual rating average, it probably has something to do with the nostalgia of the card. While Fires decks rarely won the big tournaments, they often placed in the top five so the card became more iconic than Fervor. The Fires + Saproling Burst combo became known as "The Fix" at the time because countering three attacking 4/4 on T4 ( T3 if you had a perfect draw in some formats, ) was extremely hard to deal with.
To sum up what people have said and add a bit to it:
The +2/+2 wasn't needed in that deck, it was simply extra incentive. All the green spells getting haste were so wanting to have haste, that a R/G deck just worked extremely well.
Additionally, this caused multiple copies of the Enchantment not redundant. Pulling two versions of Fervor in one hand would be pretty bad. Two FoY is never bad, since you have either option.
Fires was traditionally played in the context of efficient, undercosted, BIG creature threats like Blastoderm (
You're probably thinking that 5 damage on turn 3 followed by 17 on turn 4 will get you there. This is generally the case (or the fix, as it was called), but Fires doesn't always get those kinds of draws. The thing that enables a total shut-out in a strong matchup where the opponent is capable of neutralizing some of these threats quickly is the extra 2 points of damage. It's that extra 2 damage that pushes it over the edge, even if its on a lone Birds of Paradise flying over their team. It's an instant speed ability, and it has the ability to come out of nowhere. It also makes the playing of multiple Fires in the mid-late game a viable thing.
The Fires deck is the ultimate R/G aggro deck in my opinion. It combines brute force with ferocious speed. It's about blowing your opponent out with more damage than they can count early in the game, and that extra 2 points goes the distance. Trust me.
It also brings you that much extra reach to bash player or win trades.