Undying FlamesHow it works & interactions with other cards

How Undying Flames Works

When you cast Undying Flames, you begin exiling cards from the top of your library one by one. You stop the moment you reveal a nonland card. The spell then deals damage to your chosen target equal to the mana value of that nonland card. All cards exiled this way, including the land cards and the nonland card, remain in exile and do not return to your library or graveyard.

The Weight of the Epic Keyword

The Epic ability is a game-changing effect that resolves in two parts. First, once Undying Flames resolves, you are prohibited from casting any more spells for the remainder of the game. Second, at the start of every one of your upkeep steps, a copy of Undying Flames (without the Epic ability) is automatically placed on the stack. You can choose a new target for each copy, but you cannot cast other spells to support it.

Strategic Considerations and Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that 'mana value' refers to the total cost in the top right corner of the card; for example, a card costing 3RR has a mana value of 5. If your library is empty when the spell or its copy tries to resolve, it does nothing and no damage is dealt. Because you cannot cast spells after the original resolves, you must ensure your board state can survive without further intervention from your hand.

When to Unleash the Flame

This spell is best used when you have a high concentration of expensive nonland cards remaining in your deck and you have already established a defensive position. Since the Epic effect prevents you from casting future spells, it is often the final spell a player casts in a game, serving as a repeating 'clock' that your opponent must outrun before their life total hits zero.

Interaction examples

Generating the Initial Spark

Mana Geyser

On a turn where your opponents have many tapped lands, you cast Mana Geyser to add a large amount of red mana to your pool. You use six of that mana to cast Undying Flames. Because Undying Flames is the last spell you cast, you maximize your mana usage before the Epic restriction prevents you from casting spells for the rest of the game.

The Last Ritual

Chandra's Ignition

You have a large creature on the board and both spells in hand. You first cast Chandra's Ignition to clear the opponent's creatures and weaken their life total. Immediately after, you cast Undying Flames. The Epic ability takes hold, ensuring that even though you can no longer cast spells, Undying Flames will continue to deal damage every turn until the game ends.

Resolving the Exile Loop

Upon resolution, you exile a Mountain, another Mountain, and then a card with a mana value of 7. The land cards are ignored for damage purposes, and Undying Flames deals 7 damage to the target. During your next upkeep, the Epic trigger creates a copy, and you repeat this process, potentially exiling different cards and dealing different amounts of damage based on what you reveal.