Pyrohemia 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
At the beginning of the end step, if no creatures are on the battlefield, sacrifice this enchantment.: This enchantment deals 1 damage to each creature and each player.
Complete guide
Pyrohemia is a powerful red enchantment that allows you to control the board by dealing damage to everything at once. It serves as a repeatable board wipe that can also pressure your opponents' life totals, provided you can keep at least one creature alive to sustain it. This card is a color-shifted version of the classic Pestilence, bringing heavy-duty crowd control to mono-red decks.
Unleashing the Flame
The primary function of Pyrohemia is its activated ability. For every single red mana you spend, the enchantment deals 1 damage to every creature and every player on the battlefield. Because this is an activated ability, you can use it multiple times in a row as long as you have the mana to pay for it. Each activation is treated as a separate event, meaning you can resolve one point of damage, see what survives, and then decide whether to activate it again.
The End Step Sacrifice
Pyrohemia has a built-in 'state-check' that occurs at the beginning of every end step. If there are no creatures on the battlefield at that exact moment, the enchantment's triggered ability goes on the stack and you must sacrifice it. However, this is an 'intervening if' clause. If there is at least one creature on the battlefield when the end step starts, the ability doesn't trigger at all. If a creature enters the battlefield or is animated before the end step begins, Pyrohemia remains safe.
Timing and Strategy
One common mistake is forgetting that 'until end of turn' effects, such as a land or artifact becoming a creature, last through the end step. If you animate a permanent into a creature, it will count as a creature during the end step check, preventing you from having to sacrifice Pyrohemia. Additionally, remember that Pyrohemia deals damage to you as well; ensure your life total can handle the heat before you start a massive chain of activations.
Interaction examples
If you have 5 red mana available, you can activate Pyrohemia five times. If your opponent has several creatures with 4 toughness, you can activate it four times to clear their board. As long as you have one creature with 5 or more toughness remaining, Pyrohemia will not trigger its sacrifice ability during the end step.
Aggravated AssaultYou can use Pyrohemia during your first main phase to clear small blockers. Then, you can use Aggravated Assault to untap your remaining creatures and gain an additional combat phase. Since Pyrohemia only checks for creatures at the beginning of the end step, you can safely use it to clear the path for your attackers during any of your main phases or combat steps.
Shared AnimosityWith Shared Animosity on the field, your attacking creatures get a power boost, but their toughness remains the same. If you use Pyrohemia to deal damage to all creatures, be careful not to kill your own attacking army. If all creatures die during combat, Pyrohemia will see an empty board at the beginning of the end step and you will be forced to sacrifice it.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Pyrohemia
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Note that "until end of turn" effects wear off after "at the beginning of the end step" triggered abilities, so an artifact that animates until end of turn can keep this on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
It will stay on the battlefield if there is a creature that is put into the graveyard during the end step. This is because this ability will not trigger at all if there is at least one creature on the battlefield as the end step begins.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Each activation is considered a new damage effect. An activation can only be 1 point of damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power + Pyrohemia
- 1Give Ojer Axonil indestructible or protection from red, if needed.
- 2Activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and to you, and dealing damage equal to Ojer Axonil's power to each opponent.
- 3If any opponent has 0 or less life, they lose the game as a state-based action.
- 4Repeat from step 2 until each opponent has lost the game.
Smaug the Impenetrable + Pyrohemia
- 1Activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each player and creature.
- 2Smaug triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 4Repeat.
Cacophodon + Rite of Passage + Pyrohemia
- 1Activate the permanent by tapping it, adding .
- 2Activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and each player.
- 3Cacophodon and Rite of Passage trigger.
- 4Resolve the Rite of Passage trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
- 5Resolve the Cacophodon trigger, untapping the permanent that can produce .
- 6Repeat.
Sonic the Hedgehog + Amulet of Vigor + Pyrohemia
- 1Activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and each player.
- 2Sonic triggers for each creature you control with haste or flash that is dealt damage, creating that many tapped Treasure tokens.
- 3When the Treasure(s) enter, Amulet of Vigor triggers that many times, untapping the Treasure(s).
- 4Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 5Repeat.
Raphael, Ninja Destroyer + Pyrohemia
- 1Activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and player.
- 2Raphael triggers, adding .
- 3Repeat.
Bruce Banner // The Incredible Hulk + Pyrohemia + Fire Nation Palace
- 1Activate Fire Nation Palace's second ability by paying
and tapping it, giving The Incredible Hulk firebending 4 until end of turn. - 2Declare The Incredible Hulk as an attacker. Its firebending ability triggers, adding .
- 3Holding priority, activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and player.
- 4The Incredible Hulk triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, untapping it and giving you an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat from step 2 each combat phase.
Bruce Banner // The Incredible Hulk + Pyrohemia + Enduring Vitality
- 1Declare The Incredible Hulk as an attacker.
- 2Holding priority, activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and each player.
- 3The Incredible Hulk triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, untapping it and giving you an additional combat phase after this one.
- 4Holding priority, activate The Incredible Hulk by tapping it, adding .
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Maha, Its Feathers Night + Pyrohemia
- 1During any turn, activate Pyrohemia by paying , dealing 1 damage to each creature and each player.
- 2Each creature your opponents control dies as a state-based action due to having 0 toughness.
- 3Repeat each turn as desired.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Pyrohemia
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