Smelt-Ward IgnusHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Temporary Coup

Smelt-Ward Ignus has an activated ability that costs three mana and requires you to sacrifice the Ignus itself. In exchange, you gain control of a target creature with power 3 or less until the end of the turn. The targeted creature is untapped and gains haste, allowing it to attack or use its own activated abilities immediately under your control.

Timing and Resolution

The ability of Smelt-Ward Ignus can only be activated as a sorcery, meaning during your main phase when the stack is empty. When you activate the ability, you choose a target creature with power 3 or less. If that creature's power is increased above 3 in response to the activation, the ability will fail to resolve. However, once the ability has resolved, you keep control of the creature until the end of the turn even if its power becomes greater than 3 later.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that Smelt-Ward Ignus sacrifices itself as part of the activation cost. This means the Ignus is gone before the ability even hits the stack, so you cannot use its ability and also use it for another sacrifice cost at the same time. Additionally, remember that you can target a creature you already control or one that is already untapped; this is occasionally useful to grant a creature haste or to trigger 'when this creature becomes untapped' effects.

Interaction examples

Seizing a Mana Source

Ornithopter of Paradise

During your main phase, you pay {2}{R} and sacrifice Smelt-Ward Ignus to target your opponent's Ornithopter of Paradise. Once the ability resolves, the Thopter untaps and moves to your side of the board with haste. You may now immediately tap the Ornithopter of Paradise to add one mana of any color to your mana pool.

Clearing the Path

Professional Face-Breaker

Your opponent has a 2/2 blocker preventing your Professional Face-Breaker from attacking safely. You sacrifice Smelt-Ward Ignus to take control of their blocker. Now that the blocker is on your side, you attack with both the stolen creature and Professional Face-Breaker. Because Professional Face-Breaker has menace, your opponent likely cannot block effectively, allowing you to deal combat damage and create a Treasure token.