For those who were hoping for a Firebolt reprint, there's your 5 flashback for 2 damage at sorcery speed.
The variable cost is probably not enough to make up for the consistency of being able to deal 2 for {R} turn 1, but it may be strong enough to see some play.
As an aside, this is making me a little nostalgic for Hammer of Bogardan. And we all know if it's ever going to see a Standard reprint, it's going to be under Garfield. Come on man, I'm counting on you to make spells great again! ;)
JFM2796
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
@Lyoncet They probably wouldn't because it is too world-specific.
Also, I'm going to take this opportunity to call multiflashback in Dark Ascension.
I'm definitely getting these. Double use >>> ride-ons like Demonfire.
TherealphatMatt
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This thing basically got me 2nd place at the prerelease. It finished nearly half of my games.
OmegaSerris
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Got one at the Prerelease and splashed specifically for it. Never pulled it though... :-( Seems like a typical Fireball/Blaze revamp to me. I'm not sold on it being a Rare though. Especially with that nigh unsplashable flashback cost. Should have been uncommon, in my opinion.
Now if it would have exiled like Red Sun's Zenith in this graveyard happy block or had some graveyard based alt-cost (similar to Harvest Pyre), we might be talking...
@HuntingDrake What are you talking about? There is not a single comma on the card. There is a few apostrophes, though. But even then it only would make 'Devil' plural. So multiple 'devils' is less satanic than a single one? O_o
Eternal_Blue
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
5/5. there is never any reason for red not to including 4x of this in every single deck they ever make.
Anubisisking
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Is this card good? Yes... but I don't know if it's good enough for constructed, I'm thinking maybe not...
But it's a nice little EDH card.
luca_barelli
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
An excellent, excellent finisher. Responsible for 2 of my 4 wins at the launch party.
MasterOfBearLore
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(21 votes)
Love the picture.
"Man, I'm having so much fun right now. What about you guys?" "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" "Right? Such a good day."
001010011100101110
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Considering how many people considers playing Geistflame, this card truly shines as a hidden gem yet to be discovered in Standard. Okay, if this is used as a Geistflame, it costs one more and is a sorcery. However, this in most cases isn't going to be used as a Geistflame, save for the flashback. Turn 1 Illusion killer, turn 2 Gutshot, turn 3 Shock, turn 4 Incinerate, turn 5 and up: best spell to have in hand.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
currently looking at this card for Kaalia EDH- be straight now, and tell me:
Devil's Play? or Red Sun's Zenith? or both? or neither?
Comet Storm is a board wipe, but ^those two^ are repeatable, which should make them reasonable contenders. Any comments?
Shadoflaam
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Love this so much, it works amazingly in my Delver Standard. So much of Innistrad and M12's Red is overlooked...
Lash_of_Dragonbreath
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
One more card for my Fireball collection. Flashback makes it more versatile than its siblings, because it can be played from the graveyard.
I like it they print one new reflavored and mechanically different Fireball every block:
Ravnica: Demonfire, which has the Rakdos guild's "Hellbent" mechanic.
Time Spiral: Disintegrate, which was originally printed in Alpha. Fits Time Spiral's "reliving the past" theme very well.
Lorwyn: Titan's Revenge, which has the "clash" mechanic and is tailored to fit Lorwyn's Giant tribe.
Alara: Banefire, which features Sarkhan Vol, a planeswalker introduced in that set. My favourite one.
Zendikar: Comet Storm: has the "kicker" mechanic.
Scars of Mirrodin: Red Sun's Zenith, which is part of the "Zenith" cycle.
Innistrad: This, which has the "Flashback" mechanic.
zharnotczar
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Paired with burning vengeance, this card essentially becomes more powerful than the first time it was played. Two targets, one for two damage and one for x damage.
Dr.Pingas
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
HuntingDrake; that's an apostrophe, not a comma; and it's supposed to sound satanic. You're talking about a spell that burns things, in a world based on gothic horror, in a game set in a fantasy setting where devils and demons aren't exactly taboo. "satan" really isn't a factor here, unless you're a soccer mom worried that cards will steal your child's immortal soul - but even taking that into account, I think if any sort of card should seem satanic, it'd be one like this.
willpell
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Any clue why this is listed in gatherer as "Devil's Play (Devil's Play)"?
Chrs84
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That’s super solid, super hot. You get the essence of fireball, and you get a very reasonable flashback cost. There really is no loss or much drawback for slotting a set of these in your red/burn decks, especially because you’re getting at least double the spell opportunity. Once again, very respectful flashback cost, and during the latter rounds the flashback cost leaves you with plenty of mana to pump it. How can this card be better? If it was an instant. Do I really expect it to be an instant? No. This card is pretty much exactly the way it should be; well done. Lots of fun in the artwork and sizzling flavour text. 4½ stars.
raptorman333
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Lash_of_Dragonbreath and Drewsel
*Not "double fireball", rather double blaze If you want to start talking about comparable cards from other sets, include Rolling Thunder, Lava Burst, Kaervek's Torch, and Ghitu Fire. (I would've mentioned Meteor Shower in the last sentence if it didn't suck so much.) -If you were talking strictly rares the aforementioned Ghitu Fire should be listed for Invasion... even though it's functionality may be a bit phased out with the production of Comet Storm. I like how WotC made them not strictly comparable, though. This card makes a comparable difference because there are only so many {X}{R} burn spells that move at instant speed (making them combo-able with Braid of Fire).
Would sound less Satanic if they moved the comma over. Just saying.
Edit: Derp. Apostrophe, not comma! >< On Innistrad, "devils" are vicious little imp-like minor demons. In Christianity, "the Devil" aka Satan is "the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind" (--Wikipedia). There is no "Devil" on Innistrad, only "devils" (...and Griselbrand, a major demon). The placement of the apostrophe implies a single "Devil", not multiple "devils", at play. There would be no ambiguity in the name "Devils' play". Maybe this doesn't matter in 2012, but back in 1994 there were actual soccer moms concerned that MtG was linked to Devil-worship. Compare 3rd & 4th Editions' Unholy Strength.
Comments (22)
The variable cost is probably not enough to make up for the consistency of being able to deal 2 for {R} turn 1, but it may be strong enough to see some play.
As an aside, this is making me a little nostalgic for Hammer of Bogardan. And we all know if it's ever going to see a Standard reprint, it's going to be under Garfield. Come on man, I'm counting on you to make spells great again! ;)
Also, I'm going to take this opportunity to call multiflashback in Dark Ascension.
I'm definitely getting these. Double use >>> ride-ons like Demonfire.
Now if it would have exiled like Red Sun's Zenith in this graveyard happy block or had some graveyard based alt-cost (similar to Harvest Pyre), we might be talking...
@HuntingDrake
What are you talking about? There is not a single comma on the card. There is a few apostrophes, though. But even then it only would make 'Devil' plural. So multiple 'devils' is less satanic than a single one? O_o
But it's a nice little EDH card.
"Man, I'm having so much fun right now. What about you guys?"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
"Right? Such a good day."
Devil's Play? or Red Sun's Zenith? or both? or neither?
Comet Storm is a board wipe, but ^those two^ are repeatable, which should make them reasonable contenders. Any comments?
I like it they print one new reflavored and mechanically different Fireball every block:
Ravnica: Demonfire, which has the Rakdos guild's "Hellbent" mechanic.
Time Spiral: Disintegrate, which was originally printed in Alpha. Fits Time Spiral's "reliving the past" theme very well.
Lorwyn: Titan's Revenge, which has the "clash" mechanic and is tailored to fit Lorwyn's Giant tribe.
Alara: Banefire, which features Sarkhan Vol, a planeswalker introduced in that set. My favourite one.
Zendikar: Comet Storm: has the "kicker" mechanic.
Scars of Mirrodin: Red Sun's Zenith, which is part of the "Zenith" cycle.
Innistrad: This, which has the "Flashback" mechanic.
that's an apostrophe, not a comma; and it's supposed to sound satanic. You're talking about a spell that burns things, in a world based on gothic horror, in a game set in a fantasy setting where devils and demons aren't exactly taboo. "satan" really isn't a factor here, unless you're a soccer mom worried that cards will steal your child's immortal soul - but even taking that into account, I think if any sort of card should seem satanic, it'd be one like this.
How can this card be better? If it was an instant. Do I really expect it to be an instant? No. This card is pretty much exactly the way it should be; well done.
Lots of fun in the artwork and sizzling flavour text. 4½ stars.
*Not "double fireball", rather double blaze
If you want to start talking about comparable cards from other sets, include Rolling Thunder, Lava Burst, Kaervek's Torch, and Ghitu Fire. (I would've mentioned Meteor Shower in the last sentence if it didn't suck so much.)
-If you were talking strictly rares the aforementioned Ghitu Fire should be listed for Invasion... even though it's functionality may be a bit phased out with the production of Comet Storm. I like how WotC made them not strictly comparable, though. This card makes a comparable difference because there are only so many {X}{R} burn spells that move at instant speed (making them combo-able with Braid of Fire).
Edit:
Derp. Apostrophe, not comma! ><
On Innistrad, "devils" are vicious little imp-like minor demons. In Christianity, "the Devil" aka Satan is "the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind" (--Wikipedia). There is no "Devil" on Innistrad, only "devils" (...and Griselbrand, a major demon). The placement of the apostrophe implies a single "Devil", not multiple "devils", at play. There would be no ambiguity in the name "Devils' play". Maybe this doesn't matter in 2012, but back in 1994 there were actual soccer moms concerned that MtG was linked to Devil-worship. Compare 3rd & 4th Editions' Unholy Strength.