Price$3.14 – $14.51
Buy on TCGplayerPyroblast
Instant
LegalRemovalCounterspellRank #454
Choose one —
• Counter target spell if it's blue.
• Destroy target permanent if it's blue.
Why is this card good?
Pyroblast is one of the cheapest, most efficient interaction pieces in red — but it comes with a glaring restriction: the target must be blue.
In Commander, blue is the dominant color of control, counterspells, value engines, and combo enablers. For one red mana you can counter a rival's game-ending counterspell, blow up a Rhystic Study or Mystic Remora, or stop a blue combo piece. In cEDH and high-power pods, that's enormous value — Pyroblast and its twin Red Elemental Blast are staples specifically because so many decks lean heavily on blue.
Who wants it: red-heavy decks in competitive metagames, mono-red, or any deck expecting blue control opponents. It's a key answer to the format's best protection spells.
When NOT to play it: lower-power or casual tables where blue isn't prevalent, or in pods full of non-blue decks — then it's a dead card. Its power scales directly with how much blue you face, so know your meta before slotting it in.
Related cards
Red Elemental Blast
Functionally identical anti-blue counter/destroy for one red mana.
Flusterstorm
Cheap instant-speed counter answer for blue-heavy metas.
Mystical Tutor
Not similar, replace—actually a hate piece alternative.
Hydroblast
Mirror effect targeting red spells, sideboard counterpart.
Choke
Color-hate against blue's mana base.
Boil
Red anti-blue land destruction sweeper.
Active Volcano
Red blast-style answer to blue spells/permanents.
Abrade
Flexible red removal in similar low-cost slot.
Printings (14)
Rulings (2)
- 2016-06-08
Pyroblast can target any spell or permanent, not just a blue one. It checks the color of the target only on resolution.
- 2004-10-04
The decision to counter a spell or destroy a permanent is a decision made on announcement before the target is selected. If the spell is redirected, this mode can't be changed, so only targets of the selected type are valid.