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by Jesus M. Lopez
Magic the Gathering "Wild Cards" Here is a test. Which spell is better - Lightning Bolt, Incinerate, or Flare? Well, it depends. O.K. calm down! In most circumstances, I would take the highly effective and cheap Lightning Bolt over the other two. And yes, Incinerate (1R - Do 3 damage to any target. Damaged creature cannot regenerate) is another outstanding spell. But there are times when Flare (originally an Ice Age Instant which cost 2R and does 1 damage to any target while allowing you to draw a card next turn) is more useful than either a Lightning Bolt or Incinerate. Flare is a wild card; a spell which can enhance your chances of winning when prepared properly, or can spell disaster when used improperly. I have used Flare on numerous occasions, and feel that we underestimate this double-edged spell. Here is my evaluation. The biggest drawback to Flare is the cost to damage ratio that this card produces. For a total of 3 mana, you do only 1 damage. With all the cheap red direct damage spells available, why bother with this pinger spell? Well, the key to Flare is its efficiency in certain environments, combined with the cantrip effect generated. The use of other direct damage spells sometimes results in overkill. How many times have you had to use an elephant gun (like a Disintegrate) to shoot an annoying mouse (Prodigal Sorcerer, Pump Knight, etc.)? Flare can accomplish this, and get another card in your hand quickly. The ability to draw extra cards in a typical duel will greatly increase your chances to win the game. Just look at the preponderance of decks featuring Necropotence, Ophidians, and the card drawing Tomes. In order to best utilize this card, we need to effectively deal with the exorbitant casting cost. I suggest that you should use this spell only in an allied Red-Green deck. The mana richness inherent in these decks will make casting Flare less painfu, and help mask its major deficiency. Prior to the Mirage block, Flare was a highly questionable weapon. Early (Pre-Mirage) white Flare fodder included: Savannah Lions, Orders of Leitbur and the White Shield. Black weenie targets included Vampire Bats, and the anti-white Orders of the Ebon Hand and Stromgald Knights. Other juicy non-horde black targets which can be Flared away are the Royal Assassin and Sorceress Queen. Flare was strong against decks featuring green. How many elves (Fyndhorn & Llanowar), Birds of Paradise, and Scavenger Folk have you come across in casual and tourney play? Why waste a Bolt or Incinerate - save these for bigger fish. But why stop at your opponents green creatures? Flare your own Fungusaur and watch him grow as you draw an extra card. Against pre-Mirage blue, small tourney worthy targets were not that abundant, but the annoying Tims (Prodigal Sorcerer & Zuran Spellcaster), Zephyr Falcons, and some of the Merfolk could all be liquidated by a Flare. Early red was more problematic, and only those annoying goblins and the super-charged Ball Lightnings immediately come to mind as potential targets. Suffice to say, Flare utilization in the days of Ice Age,Chronicles & 4th Ed. was not recommended. Then, there came the Mirage block and Tempest! These new expansions introduced many new tournament-worthy 1-defense creatures. Quirion and Skyshroud Elves and Rangers help drive multi-color decks. Fast, flexible River Boas are swimming all over the place. Fireslingers and assorted Moggs have made their presence felt. Double duty Guildmages, like the Shadow and Granger, also make frequent appearances. Ivory and Ebony Shadowers (Soltari and Dauthi) are skulking in the darkness. Need more Flare gun targets to convince you? How about the land destroying Orcish Settlers, the immediate attacking Lightning Elemental (4/1), the library manipulating Sage Owl, the anti-black Duskrider Falcon, and the creature removing Crypt Rats? The list, as you can see, goes on and on. Bottom line - in today's creature-heavy tournament environments, Flare is a viable weapon. When is Flare at its worst? Flare definitely loses impact versus creatureless decks, and decks featuring many counters and a few large creatures. Unless you can combine your Flare with a Lightning Bolt or Incinerate to take down a tough 4/4 creature (i.e. Serra Angel, Sengir Vampire, Air Elemental, etc.), it becomes a phantom disposable Tim which can be used at the end of your opponent's turn to ping him or her for one and draw a card. A definite factor in your willingness to use Flare is a willingness to gamble. You are betting that your opponents deck will feature some small targets, thus making Flare a formidable weapon. This is not an outlandish gambit, because a good percentage of decks played will utilize small creatures. And let's face it - sometimes gambling and a little luck can result in a big payoff.
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