Smelt-Ward Ignus
Creature — Elemental
, Sacrifice this creature: Gain control of target creature with power 3 or less until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Ravnica Allegiance
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #26553
Smelt-Ward Ignus steals any creature with a activated ability that produces mana the moment an opponent taps it — zero mana, just a sacrifice — giving you both a blocker and a tempo swing in one triggered package. The cost is that you have to sacrifice it immediately after, so you're trading a body for a body plus the stolen trigger, which is a live deal in the right shell.
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 |
Smelt-Ward Ignus is a Commander card through and through — the format's multiplayer chaos means there are always opponents tapping mana dorks, Selvala variants, or Treasure-generating creatures you can swipe at instant speed. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer it's too narrow and too slow to see meaningful play; competitive decks in those formats don't leave the kind of mana-ability creatures on board that make the Ignus worth a slot. Vintage has the raw power density to occasionally make it relevant against creature-based mana engines, but it won't crack any lists there either. Stick to Commander, where the card's ceiling — stealing a Selvala, Heart of the Wilds mid-combo or snagging a Krenko, Mob Boss activation — is genuinely backbreaking.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Smelt-Ward Ignus is deep bulk — you'll find it in a common box before you'll find it on a vendor page. Bulk rares with narrow utility don't appreciate, so grab a copy for your deck and don't expect the price to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.