Flame Wave
Sorcery
Flame Wave deals 4 damage to target player or planeswalker and each creature that player or that planeswalker's controller controls.
- CMC
- 7
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Ninth Edition
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #22983
Flame Wave deals 4 damage to each creature and player — a simultaneous board wipe and life drain stapled to a single sorcery. The cost is four red mana at sorcery speed, which is steep enough that it rarely makes the cut over cheaper or more asymmetric alternatives.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Flame Wave is a symmetrical six-mana sorcery that hits every creature and every player for 4 — that's relevant damage spread across three opponents, but the symmetry and the cost work against it when compared to one-sided sweepers. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but never played; those formats demand efficiency that Flame Wave simply doesn't offer. Modern has access to far better mass-damage options at lower mana values, so Flame Wave doesn't find a home there either. The card's most defensible shell in Commander is a Stuffy Doll or damage-redirect build, where the player-damage clause becomes a repeatable punch rather than an afterthought.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Flame Wave is deep bulk — the price reflects its limited demand across every format it's legal in. Don't expect that to change; bulk red sorceries without a competitive home rarely appreciate.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.