Chandra's Incinerator is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
This spell costsless to cast, where X is the total amount of noncombat damage dealt to your opponents this turn. Trample Whenever a source you control deals noncombat damage to an opponent, this creature deals that much damage to target creature or planeswalker that player controls.
Complete guide
Chandra's Incinerator is a massive Elemental that turns your noncombat damage into powerful removal. By punishing opponents for taking direct damage, it allows you to maintain board control while pressuring life totals. This card is a staple for burn decks looking to keep the field clear of blockers and planeswalkers.
What It Does
Chandra's Incinerator has two primary abilities: a cost reduction and a triggered damage ability. It costs 1 less generic mana to cast for every point of noncombat damage your opponents have taken this turn. Once on the battlefield, whenever a source you control deals noncombat damage to an opponent, the Incinerator deals that same amount of damage to a creature or planeswalker controlled by that same player.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you deal noncombat damage, the Incinerator's ability triggers and you choose a legal target creature or planeswalker controlled by the player who was damaged. As the ability resolves, the Incinerator deals damage equal to the amount of noncombat damage that triggered it. Note that the Incinerator itself is the source of this new damage, which may be relevant for abilities like lifelink or deathtouch.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is confusing noncombat damage with combat damage. Combat damage is only the damage dealt by creatures during the turn-based combat damage step; any other damage, even from abilities during the combat phase, is noncombat damage. Additionally, the cost reduction only applies to the generic mana ({5}) in its cost, meaning you must always pay at least {R} to cast it.
When to Play It
The best time to play Chandra's Incinerator is immediately after a big noncombat damage event, such as a spell or an ability, to take advantage of the mana discount. In multiplayer games, it counts the total noncombat damage dealt to all opponents combined that turn, making it significantly easier to cast for a single Red mana.
Interaction examples
Goldspan DragonIf you use an ability or spell to deal 5 noncombat damage to an opponent, Chandra's Incinerator will cost only {R} to cast. You can then use a Treasure created by Goldspan Dragon to pay for that remaining {R} and deploy your Elemental for a very low cost.
Etali, Primal StormIf Etali, Primal Storm attacks and you cast a noncombat damage spell from exile, the Incinerator will trigger. If the spell deals 3 damage to your opponent, the Incinerator's ability will then trigger and deal 3 damage to a creature or planeswalker that player controls. This happens even if Etali's own combat damage is blocked or prevented.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Chandra's Incinerator
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Combat damage is the damage that's dealt automatically by attacking and blocking creatures. Any other damage is noncombat damage, even if it's dealt during a combat phase by an attacking or blocking creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Chandra's Incinerator counts all noncombat damage dealt to your opponents, not the difference in their life totals since the turn began. For example, if an opponent was dealt 5 noncombat damage but gained 3 life, Chandra's Incinerator still costs just
.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The cost reduction applies only to generic mana in the cost of Chandra's Incinerator. It can't reduce the
requirement.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
In a multiplayer game, Chandra's Incinerator counts damage dealt to opponents who have lost the game.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Chandra's Incinerator + Repercussion
- 1Deal noncombat damage to an opponent.
- 2Chandra's Incinerator triggers, dealing that much damage to a creature the opponent controls.
- 3Repercussion triggers, causing the creature to deal damage equal to the damage dealt to it to its controller.
- 4Repeat from step 2 until the opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life, or until the opponent controls no creatures.
- 5If you have a repeated way to deal noncombat damage to any other opponent(s) who control a creature, you may repeat this loop for those opponents.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Chandra's Incinerator
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.