Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 1

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.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 2

You pay all costs and follow all normal timing rules for a card played this way. For example, if the exiled card is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 3

An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”).

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 4

When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 5

If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 6

If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 7

If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze — ruling 8

You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze 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

Whenever a source you control deals noncombat damage to an opponent, you may exile that many cards from the top of your library. You may play those cards this turn. Embereth Blaze deals 2 damage to any target. (Then exile this card. You may cast the enchantment later from exile.)

Complete guide

Virtue of Courage is a powerful red enchantment that turns every spark of noncombat damage into fresh resources from your library. Paired with its Adventure half, Embereth Blaze, it provides both early-game removal and late-game card advantage. Understanding the distinction between combat and noncombat damage is the key to unlocking its full potential.

What It Does

Virtue of Courage features a triggered ability that rewards you for dealing noncombat damage to an opponent. Whenever a source you control—whether it is a spell, an activated ability, or a triggered ability—deals damage to an opponent outside of the combat damage step, you exile an equal number of cards from your library. You may play these cards until the end of the current turn, following all normal timing rules and costs.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you deal noncombat damage to an opponent, Virtue of Courage triggers and goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you count the exact amount of damage dealt and exile that many cards from the top of your library. From that moment until the end of the turn, you have permission to play those cards. If you exile a land, you may play it as your land for the turn during your main phase. If you exile a spell, you must pay its mana cost and obey its timing restrictions (e.g., sorceries only during your main phase).

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is trying to trigger this ability with attacking creatures; combat damage is the automatic damage dealt by attackers and blockers and will not trigger the Virtue. Additionally, remember that if you cast Embereth Blaze and it is countered or its target becomes illegal, the card goes to the graveyard instead of exile, meaning you cannot cast the Virtue side later. Lastly, cards exiled with Virtue of Courage that are not played by the end of the turn remain in exile forever and cannot be played later.

When to Play It

Cast Embereth Blaze early to pick off small threats or to finish off a player, ensuring the card sits safely in exile to be cast as an enchantment later. Once the Virtue of Courage enchantment is on the battlefield, use it alongside burn spells or triggered abilities to 'storm off' by chaining spells together using the cards you exile each time you deal damage.

Interaction examples

Starting the Chain

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze

With Virtue of Courage on the battlefield, you cast Embereth Blaze from your hand targeting your opponent. When Embereth Blaze resolves, it deals 2 damage. This triggers the Virtue, allowing you to exile the top two cards of your library to play this turn. The Blaze itself then goes to exile, allowing you to cast a second copy of the enchantment later if you had one, though in this case, the spell was already the Adventure half of a card.

Funding Your Plays

Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze

Big Score

Unexpected Windfall

If you exile Big Score or Unexpected Windfall with the Virtue's ability, you can cast them by discarding a card and paying their mana cost. The Treasure tokens they create provide the mana necessary to cast even more spells that you might exile through further noncombat damage, creating a powerful engine of card draw and mana generation.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Virtue of Courage // Embereth Blaze

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 1, 2023· 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.
#2September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
You pay all costs and follow all normal timing rules for a card played this way. For example, if the exiled card is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
An adventurer card is a permanent card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it’s in your graveyard, Questing Druid is a green creature card whose mana value is 2. It can’t be the target of Tenacious Tomeseeker’s triggered ability (“return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand”).
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card’s normal characteristics. The spell’s color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it’s legal to cast that spell. For example, if you control Johann, Apprentice Sorcerer (“Once each turn, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from the top of your library.”) and Questing Druid is on top of your library, you can cast Seek the Beast, but not Questing Druid.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a permanent spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won’t be exiled and the spell’s controller won’t be able to cast it as a permanent later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won’t give you permission to cast it as a permanent spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the permanent spell you cast from exile. Normally, you’ll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it’s not possible to cast the copy as a permanent.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#10September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
An effect may refer to a card, spell, or permanent that “has an Adventure.” This refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an adventurer card’s set of alternative characteristics, even if they’re not being used and even if that card was never cast as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a card, spell, or permanent that has an Adventure, it won’t find an instant or sorcery spell on the stack that’s been cast as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#12September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it’s a token) or cease to be a copy (if it’s a nontoken permanent), and so you won’t be able to cast it as an Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#13September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#14September 1, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a card as an Adventure isn’t casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
No other card is named in this ruling.