Cinderhaze Wretch 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
: Target player discards a card. Activate only during your turn. Put a -1/-1 counter on this creature: Untap this creature.
Complete guide
Cinderhaze Wretch is a unique Elemental Shaman that provides a repeatable discard outlet at the cost of its own physical form. While its mana cost is high, its ability to untap itself repeatedly makes it a dangerous tool for stripping an opponent's hand during your turn.
What It Does
Cinderhaze Wretch has two activated abilities. The first allows you to tap it to force a target player to discard a card, but only during your turn. The second ability allows you to untap it by putting a -1/-1 counter on it. This combination means you can activate the discard ability multiple times in a single turn, provided the creature has enough toughness to survive the counters.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you use the untap ability, placing the -1/-1 counter is a cost. This happens immediately when you announce the ability, before it resolves. If the counter reduces Cinderhaze Wretch's toughness to 0 or less, state-based actions will move it to the graveyard before the untap effect actually occurs. If it survives, the ability resolves and the creature untaps, allowing you to use its tap ability again.
Common Mistakes
The most common error is trying to activate the discard ability on an opponent's turn; the card explicitly restricts the tap ability to your own turn. Additionally, remember that the untap ability is an activated ability, not a triggered one. It does not happen automatically; you must manually choose to pay the cost of a -1/-1 counter to untap it.
When to Play It
This card is most effective in decks that can mitigate the -1/-1 counters or benefit from having creatures in the graveyard. It is a powerful engine for emptying an opponent's hand if you have ways to boost its toughness or remove the counters periodically.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf your opponent has a Solemn Simulacrum in hand, you can tap Cinderhaze Wretch during your turn to force them to discard it. You can then put a -1/-1 counter on Cinderhaze Wretch to untap it, allowing you to target them again if they have more cards remaining.
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Elemental' or 'Shaman' chosen, note that Cinderhaze Wretch uses activated abilities, not triggered abilities. Roaming Throne will not cause the discard or untap effects to happen an additional time, as its bonus only applies to triggered abilities.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Cinderhaze Wretch
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You put the -1/-1 counter on Cinderhaze Wretch as a cost. That means it happens when you activate the ability, not when it resolves. If paying the cost causes the creature to have 0 toughness, it’s put into the graveyard before you can untap it and before you can even pay the cost again.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Myrkul, Lord of Bones + Cinderhaze Wretch + Jaheira, Friend of the Forest
- 1Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 2Repeat step 1 until Cinderhaze Wretch dies as a state-based action due to having zero or less toughness.
- 3Myrkul triggers, causing you to exile Cinderhaze Wretch and create a token copy of Cinderhaze Wretch that is an enchantment and loses all other card types.
- 4Activate the Cinderhaze Wretch token by tapping it, adding
. - 5Activate the Cinderhaze Wretch token's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 6Repeat from step 4.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Cinderhaze Wretch
- 1Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 2Repeat step 1 until Cinderhaze Wretch dies as a state-based action due to having zero toughness.
- 3Cinderhaze Wretch dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4Repeat.
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons + Ivy Lane Denizen + Cinderhaze Wretch
- 1Activate Cinderhaze Wretch by tapping it, causing target player to discard a card.
- 2Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 3Hapatra triggers, creating a 1/1 Snake creature token.
- 4The Snake enters the battlefield, triggering Ivy Lane Denizen, putting a +1/+1 counter on Cinderhaze Wretch.
- 5Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Cinderhaze Wretch + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Cinderhaze Wretch, adding
. - 2Cinderhaze Wretch dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 4Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Cinderhaze Wretch + Viscera Seer
- 1Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing Cinderhaze Wretch.
- 2Cinderhaze Wretch dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Resolve the Viscera Seer ability, causing you to scry 1.
- 4Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 5Repeat.
Fain, the Broker + Necrotic Ooze + Cinderhaze Wretch
- 1Activate Necrotic Ooze using Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 2Activate Necrotic Ooze using Fain's second ability by tapping it and removing a -1/-1 counter from it, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Repeat.
- 4Once you have infinite Treasure tokens, you may instead use Fain's third ability to create infinite Inklings, then use Fain's fourth ability to untap Necrotic Ooze.
- 5You then can also use Fain's first ability to get infinite +1/+1 counters.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Cinderhaze Wretch + Carrion Feeder
- 1Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing Cinderhaze Wretch.
- 2Cinderhaze Wretch dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 5Repeat.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Cinderhaze Wretch + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Cinderhaze Wretch, adding one mana of any color.
- 2Cinderhaze Wretch dies, triggering its undying ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Activate Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 4Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Cinderhaze Wretch
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