Banefire
Sorcery
Banefire deals X damage to any target.
If X is 5 or more, this spell can't be countered and the damage can't be prevented.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Core Set 2019 Promos
- Price
- $3.95
- EDHREC rank
- #3911
Banefire is a one-shot kill spell that costs opponents nothing to stop once X hits five — uncounterable, unpreventable damage to any target, ending games that slower spells would leave open. The floor is a mediocre burn spell; the ceiling, in the right mana engine, is a reliable closer that sidesteps the entire blue permission suite. Rosheen, Roaring Prophet turns that ceiling into the default.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rosheen, Roaring Prophet
Rosheen, Roaring Prophet taps for four mana on any X spell, which means Banefire hits lethal range by turn four without any other setup — that 45% inclusion rate reflects how cleanly the two cards form a one-two punch.
Imodane, the Pyrohammer
Imodane, the Pyrohammer copies single-target burn spells and redirects the copy to each opponent, so a Banefire for X=7 becomes 7 damage to every player at the table — uncounterable and unpreventable across the board.
Neheb, the Eternal
Neheb, the Eternal converts combat damage into a mana surplus during the second main phase, and Banefire is the cleanest way to sink that surplus into a lethal shot before the turn ends.
Rowan, Scion of War
Rowan, Scion of War reduces spell costs by the life paid earlier in the turn, letting Banefire reach game-ending X values for far less mana than the raw cost suggests.
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Mizzix of the Izmagnus accumulates experience counters to reduce instant and sorcery costs, and Banefire scales those savings directly into a larger X — more experience means more damage, not just cheaper spells.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Banefire earns its slot: 40 life totals mean winning with one spell requires a real mana engine, and Banefire rewards exactly the kind of explosive mana generation red excels at in the format. In Modern and Pioneer, it sees fringe play as a finisher in big-mana or Storm-adjacent shells, but it competes with faster, cheaper burn that doesn't ask you to hit X=5 before the counterspell clause matters. Legacy and Vintage have the same problem amplified — the format is too fast for Banefire to realistically reach its uncounterable threshold before the game is over. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander case on a smaller scale, where planeswalker-led mana engines can accelerate the payoff.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$3.95 cheap tier
At $3.95, Banefire sits in a comfortable range — cheap enough to slot without budget hesitation, priced fairly for a niche finisher that doesn't slot into every red deck. Demand is narrow but consistent, anchored by Commander mana-engine builds, so the price is unlikely to move much in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Rosheen, Roaring Prophet
- Imodane, the Pyrohammer
- Neheb, the Eternal
- Rowan, Scion of War
- Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.