Tarfire
Kindred Instant — Goblin
Tarfire deals 2 damage to any target.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins
- Price
- $0.48
- EDHREC rank
- #15554
Tarfire deals 2 damage for one mana — functional baseline removal — but the reason to run it is the Goblin subtype, which makes it searchable by tribal tutors like Goblin Matron and Goblin Recruiter. Outside a Goblin deck, it's just a worse Lightning Bolt.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Tarfire earns its slot in exactly one context: Goblin tribal, where the creature type lets Goblin Matron and similar tutors fetch it as a removal piece. Everywhere else, 2 damage at sorcery speed for one mana is below rate and easy to cut. In Legacy and Vintage, the Goblin-type clause has niche value in Goblin storm shells, but the card rarely displaces more efficient burn. Pauper is the format where Tarfire gets the most honest look — the tutor synergy is real in budget Goblin lists, and the competition for one-mana burn is narrower at common.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.48 bulk tier
At $0.48, Tarfire sits at the top of bulk pricing — cheap enough to pick up without thought if you're building Goblin tribal. The narrow demand keeps the price stable; it won't spike unless a new Goblin tutor pushes the archetype into broader play.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.