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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Burning Oil
Image from Wizards.com

Burning Oil
Dark Ascension

Reviewed March 8, 2012

Constructed: 2.75
Casual: 2.67
Limited: 3.90
Multiplayer: 2.75

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Burning Oil

Dark Ascension contains two red burn spells with Flashback. This is the good one. Its first shot is two mana for three damage, compared to Fires of Undeath's three mana for two damage. Its flashback is a more reasonable 3W. This is balanced by the fact that it can only hit attacking or blocking creatures. Don't fool yourself-- this is a real limitation. Some creatures, like Soul's Attendant, can cause a lot of problems for you without ever attacking or blocking. The limiation also means you can't use it to take out a potential blocker and maximize the damage you do. It does, however, lend itself better to combining the spell damage with combat damage and taking out creatures with higher toughness, or maximizing the impact of first strike.

Constructed- 3.5
Casual- 3.5
Limited- 4
Multiplayer- 4

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Burning Oil
 
I'm tempted to give this card a high score just because it's an in-universe representation of Greek fire (look it up, it's cool!). From that point of view, the fact that it's very efficient at taking out attacking creatures, and putting you ahead in card count in the process, is only a bonus. Whichever of those is more important to you, this card is quite appealing. Also, did you notice that you're spending white mana here to "deal damage" - does that mean we can get Sunlance back in M13 or M14?
 
Constructed: 2/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Burning Oil which has a two mana Red or four mana White Flashback cost and deals three damage to target attacking or blocking creature.  The requirement of attacking or blocking is a somewhat common in White, but both colors have other options for removal that are more flexible.  Even if you are playing Red/White where the potential efficiency of the Flashback is a factor there are better choices to play and in a purely Red deck this really doesn't have any place at all.
 
For Limited the potential double removal makes this an excellent card to have in your pool and even if White isn't being played as a primary color it is worth it to splash some in for the Flashback.  An easy second or third pick in Booster and should be played whenever Red or White are part of your build in Sealed.
 
Constructed: 2.0
Casual: 2.0
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 2.0

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

     Welcome to the card of the day section here at Pojo.com. Today we are looking at Burning Oil from Dark Ascension. Burning Oil is an uncommon red instant that costs one generic and one red mana. Burning Oil deals three damage to target attacking or blocking creature, and has a Flashback cost of three generic and one white mana.

    Burning Oil is definitely a useful card for Standard forms of play, and perhaps even in decks where you just like to feel the flavor of Boros (red/white). Three damage to an attacker or blocker is a great way to kill something off in the event your creature cannot, butu also serves to lure someone into blocking, and then taking out that creature. For instance, this card is extremely useful against Glissa the Traitor. She is devastating to try and block or get by, this makes it easy. Once blocking is declared, cast Burning Oil, and enjoy the irony in the fact that oil will kill a Phyrexian who is born of oil. I love it!

     While Burning Oil is a decent card, it can never replace a Lighting Bolt, even with Flashback. But it does remain a good Limited option.
 
Limited: 4/5
Casual: 2/5
Constructed: 3/5
Multiplayer: 2/5


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