The classic. Throw this down at the table, and
some people will actually counter spells
targeted at you in order to keep you and your
Mana Flare alive. And then there are those
people that realize that you must have put it in
your deck for a reason, so they make it job #1
to take your strategy out first. In multiplayer
this card has been the kingmaker countless
times, though it doesn't always make its owner
the winner. An amazing card for multiplayer
politics as well as neat combos, or just anyone
who wants to play their huge Dragons that much
faster.
Constructed- 3
Casual- 4
Limited- ?
Aethereal
Tuesday - Mana
Flare
The original mana-doubler. Like yesterday's
card, this is only legal in Vintage and Legacy,
and unless a combo deck involving red that makes
use of this pops up, Heartbeat of Spring is
probably a better choice (never mind that there
are better combo decks to play in those two
formats than the Heartbeat deck...). The
symmetry of this is why it's not so great in
tournament constructed, since your opponent will
get to make use of it before you do unless you
combo out somehow on the turn you play it.
Casual is the format where this shines, and I
highly recommend it there. Heartbeat still
probably gets the nod because it's green, but
this is the classic.
In limited, you can't use it as well, and the
symmetry only makes it worse. Don't bother.
Constructed - 2.5
Casual - 4.5
Limited - 1.5
David Fanany
Player since
1995
Mana Flare
I wonder how many people who played Heartbeat of
Spring decks in Standard a couple of years ago
or Extended now know that this is where the idea
for the card came from. At the time this card
was new, there weren't many options to abuse it;
Gauntlet of Might was once a viable partner for
it, and Early Harvest made its first appearance
shortly after the Flare was reprinted in Fifth
Edition, but for many years this effect was best
in multiplayer. Combo decks that revolve around
mana-doubling are much more viable now than back
then, but the basic idea will always be the
same, and will always be a lot of fun - whether
they revolve around green enchantments or red
ones.
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 1/5
v0rac10u5
Mana Flare
Multiple combo decks have been built around this
card and its descendants (Mirari’s Wake,
Heartbeat of Spring, etc.). The symmetricality
of the card can make it more difficult to play
correctly, but it was still “broken” at
different stages of its existence.
- Constructed: 4
Not as competitive as it used to be, but still
gets the job done.
- Casual: 4
- Limited: 1
Combo cards do not usually translate well to
limited.
