(Chandra's Ignition | Art by Eric Deschamps)

Burn, Go

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that Boltwave is the only one-mana burn spell that can deal three damage to each opponent without paying additional costs?)

There's been a lot of talk about the old strategy of Counter-Burn lately, and it's all thanks to everyone's favorite Dracogenius.

Niv-Mizzet, Visionary takes the formula of "deal a damage, draw a card" and ships out the damage dealing part to other cards, unlike his predecessors.

This does put him in the entertaining situation of going infinite with other versions of himself (notably not Niv-Mizzet, Dracogenius, for those keeping score at home), in perhaps one of the best mechanics-meet-flavor designs we've ever seen. And make no mistake, that will be the crux of the majority of new Niv-Mizzet decks, both those with Niv-Mizzet, Visionary at the helm and the ones that go with one of his five-color versions so they can play all the Niv-Mizzets.

For our purposes today, however, we're going to take a narrower approach, and see if the Visionary can stand all on his own. My vote is not only on yes, but also thinks that it will actually be the more powerful version of the deck. Simply put, the simple, focused strategies usually do the best, and it's hard to do much simpler than Counter-Burn. Except, Niv-Mizzet achieves it! Why? Well, Counter-Burn strategies usually need card draw effects to keep themselves with answers in hand, and especially to get the amount of burn needed to actually finish out a game. It's all well going card-for-card with your opponent if all you're looking to do is keep them from doing anything, but to win the game, you have to get ahead.

With Niv-Mizzet, you don't have that problem. You can still burn or counter anything you need to to stay alive in the early game, and then once Niv-Mizzet, Visionary comes down, the burn spell you have left over is a draw spell. And if we do our job right here today, then they'll be some of the best draw spells you've ever played.

Top 10 Burn Spells

What is a burn spell? That which bolts by any other name would deal damage, yes? Well, yes and no.

When it comes to Niv-Mizzet, Visionary, the premium that was already high on burn spells that can damage opponents is higher than ever. While Blasphemous Act or Chain Reaction would be great with a Repercussion in play, they're not going to cut it otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I love Abrade, but we need burn spells that are going to draw us cards, and it can't. In fact, I would go so far as to say the only non-hits-a-player burn spell we might end up playing would be Shatterskull Smashing, and that one only makes the cut because it's a land first.

The second thing I noticed when going through the list was another version of burn spells that don't really do what we want them to do.

Fling is amazing, and our commander is a 5/5. What's not to like? Well, what's not to like is the biggest weakness of our deck: If you cast the last burn spell out of your hand, and Niv-Mizzet, Visionary gets removed in response, then the deck is completely dead in the water. In other words, the last thing on earth we would want to do is create that scenario for ourselves with Fling effects.

With that, however, I think we've found all the stuff we're not interested in, and are ready to get to the list!

Criteria: Instants and sorceries within the Izzet color identity that can deal damage to an opponent without them specifically choosing for that to happen (get outta here, Wheel of Misfortune and Browbeat!), and without having an additional cost of sacrificing a creature. As is tradition, all results are ordered by EDHREC score.

10. Electrodominance

(39,812 Inclusions, 2% of 2,337,008 Decks)

Electrodominance comes to us from a genre well-known to Izzet: Spellslinger. While X spells don't always thrive there, given the prevalence of "cast without paying its mana cost" effects that like to cast them for zero, many consider Electrodominance worth the risk because it allows you to burn an opponent out with all the mana you've acquired from your rituals, then tack another spell on to continue the process for others. Even better, you can do so at instant speed, allowing you to get that pesky Grapeshot you need to cap things off out on an opponent's end step. With all that said, I am not a fan of Electrodominance, personally. I'm even less of a fan of it when it comes to Niv-Mizzet, Visionary. For me, Electrodominance is the epitome of a win-more card. If you have the mana to be throwing out X spells, you should be trying to win the game with them. Electrodominance only feels worth it if you have another card worth casting in hand, and you have the mana to cast said spell. Well, if that's the case, then I have to ask, what is Electrodominance for? To tack on some needed creature removal? While that's not the most terrible idea, the likelihood in a Niv-Mizzet deck is that the other spell you're casting is a burn spell that could do the same, and I have to feel that you're going to be better off casting it by itself, rather than putting all your eggs in one basket.

9. Earthquake

(40,189 Inclusions, 2% of 2,337,008 Decks)

The original red boardwipe, Earthquake still holds up these days precisely because of commanders like Niv-Mizzet, Visionary that want to be able to damage players. Him being flying certainly helps, as well, although it's really more the first part of the equation that brings people here most often. In fact, this well has gotten deep enough that this is actually the second time we've gone over this topic. It turns out, burning all players for X while also simplifying the board is good, especially if you have a higher life total than said opponents. And with a burn deck that will remove the most efficient threats while also doming people to the face to draw cards, I would expect Earthquake to be the spell that clinches things pretty darn often.

With all that said, it's a good enough effect to run twice, even if the second version does remove your commander, so also consider Rolling Earthquake. You'll still draw the cards as Niv-Mizzet goes to the graveyard, and your opponents won't have fliers left over to swing out with, either. Win-win.

8. End the Festivities

(46,795 Inclusions, 2% of 2,337,008 Decks)

This won't be the last "pay one mana to draw three cards" spell we see on this list, but it might actually be the best of them with Niv-Mizzet. The reason being, you're getting your three cards from damaging each opponent, but you're probably also taking out hordes of tokens and utility creatures along the way, which is ultimately more impactful. In fact, I would go so far as to say that you'll probably end up casting this without your commander in play more often than you will with him there, which is saying something since you'll have the temptation of an Ancestral Recall telling you to hold it. Which is a good point to note in general: Don't be afraid to use your burn spells early. You will always need at least one left over to make your commander worth it, but in all likelihood, the amount of cards we're talking about drawing off of things like Earthquake means that one spell will be enough, provided Niv-Mizzet isn't removed in response. Then again, that's what the Counterspells are for, right?

7. Fiery Confluence

(53,188 Inclusions, 2% of 2,337,008 Decks)

Four mana, draw 18 seems good, doesn't it? That doesn't mean you'll only be using the two damage to each opponent option exclusively, but it's gonna be hard not to if your commander is in play. If not, however, then the flexibility of Fiery Confluence will come in handy, in all likelihood being one of the only artifact removal options in the deck, not to mention an additional utility creature board wipe if needed.

6. Prismari Command

(53,819 Inclusions, 5% of 1,095,004 Decks)

I think I'm on my dozenth or so article dunking on Prismari Command, so long-term readers will know that I am in no way a fan of this card. If you can copy it, it kind of becomes worth the mana investment, except you could just play a card that was worth what you're paying in the first place, and copy that! To reiterate the argument, though, the issue here isn't the burn part of this spell. Three mana for two damage with an additional benefit is a rate you're willing to pay for all sorts of cards throughout Magic. Heck, I love Flick a Coin, and that only does one damage! The problem here is the additional benefits just aren't that great. A single Treasure doesn't really do much for you, and looting two cards means you're still out a card. The only other mode on here you're really happy with is the artifact removal, and that only feels good if you're removing a legitimate threat, as opposed to randomly hitting someone's mana rock. In short, there are just better instants in both red and blue you could be playing for three mana, especially in spellslinger strategies where mana is precious until you hit a critical mass of rituals.

5. Comet Storm

(67,765 Inclusions, 3% of 2,337,008 Decks)

Comet Storm is a fine finisher, especially at instant speed. The problem is, that's really the only place where it shines. Don't get me wrong, you're not completely unhappy casting this for four in the early- to mid-game to remove a utility creature that's giving you conniptions, but in reality, the only time you want to see this is when you have 40 mana available. That goes double for a Niv-Mizzet, Visionary deck, where the more efficient burn spell you could be playing instead for one mana will draw you more cards to get more burn spells and keep the whole cycle going.

4. Delayed Blast Fireball

(70,251 Inclusions, 3% of 2,337,008 Decks)

While ripping this off the top with a Jeska's Will would be ideal, I'm not so sure that you're unhappy with the "Pyroclasm for one more" interpretation of events, either. Two damage to each player with Niv-Mizzet, Visionary in play will draw you six cards, which is not bad for three mana. What's game-winning, however, is drawing 15 cards, so don't be afraid to Foretell this early to play the turn after you land your commander.

3. Grapeshot

(96,064 Inclusions, 4% of 2,337,008 Decks)

It's a bit of a wonder whether or not a Counter-Burn deck with Niv-Mizzet, Visionary at the helm will be a Storm deck or not. On the one hand, you're going to be playing a lot of instants and sorceries. Combine those payoffs and discounts and the fact that your commander costs six mana, and you'd be crazy not to be playing every ritual available. Well, mana spells are half the equation of a Storm deck, with the other half being card draw, which our commander transforms burn spells into. In other words, you should have more than enough ability to go nuts on your turn and win with Grapeshot, or at least to use it as a one-sided board wipe.

The problem is, Counter-Burn doesn't want to go nuts on its turn. It wants to hold mana open to stop others from winning the game, then if that fails to materialize, instead burn threats and/or faces at the end of turn. This puts Grapeshot in a weird sorcery-speed zone where it's not a bad card to be playing, but isn't necessarily as good as it usually is, either. I do think things come down on the side of playing it, but it would be nice if we had a few effects like Electrodominance or Borne Upon a Wind to see if we can't use some of the Storm of our opponent's turn and how we responded to it to try to Storm out at instant speed.

2. Chandra's Ignition

(103,081 Inclusions, 4% of 2,337,008 Decks)

Unlike Fling effects, Chandra's Ignition keeps the creature in question alive, making it a go-to for red decks with large commanders. Well, Niv-Mizzet, Visionary fits that bill at a 5/5, and will translate that five damage into five cards for each opponent it hits, as well. There are better deals out there, efficiency-wise, but none of those will wipe the board and keep your commander alive for more shenanigans post-drawing-15. In other words, this is the card you're praying to draw.

1. Lightning Bolt

(248,335 Inclusions, 11% of 2,337,008 Decks)

With that said, you'll never be unhappy to see Lightning Bolt, at any portion of the game. Kill a utility creature early, kill a commander that took some combat damage in the midgame, or throw it at someone's face and draw three once you get your commander down. It's the king for a reason, and we'll definitely be playing not only it, but several iterations of poor remakes of it.

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Honorable Mentions

The more impactful spells, however, will damage each opponent, not just one of them. So let's take a look at some of the most efficient spells at doing that, shall we?

Flame Rift hasn't really been seen much since it saw play in the hyper-aggressive red decks of Post-Rebels standard, but it still does what it's always done: Dome everyone to the face on the cheap. While it may not affect the board state at all, with your commander down, it's a two-mana, draw 12 deal, which seems like a pretty good deal. Maybe not as good as Price of Progress, however. Drawing Price of Progress in the late-game means a likely 10 or more damage to each opponent, in this day and age of greedy manabases, and you can do it at instant speed. When you resolve a Price of Progress with Niv-Mizzet, Visionary in play, you realize two things, almost instantaneously: One, you're going to win this game. Two, if you're going to win this game, you're going to need to reserve a burn spell for your own Niv-Mizzet, otherwise you're going to deck yourself.

Those may not even be the best deal out there, however. How about drawing six cards and semi-wiping the board of utility creatures and tokens... For free? Cave-In is an oft-forgotten card out of Mercadian Masques, and its status is fairly well deserved. Pyroclasm is cheap already, why would you want to ditch a card for the privilege? Well, the little "and each player" that's tacked onto the end there means that Cave-In can come down the turn you play your Niv-Mizzet, and draw you six cards to get the ball rolling. Even if he gets removed after that, you've now paid six mana and a card to draw six. I'd take that deal.

As for the decklist itself, let's take a look and see just what kind of shenanigans we can get into.

The deck is extremely reliant on its commander, so I would implore you to have either a burn spell or a Counterspell available when you run him out, rather than just tapping out and hoping he sticks. A casual read of the card will tell everyone that he shouldn't stick, so you'll have a whole table united against that happening. With that in mind, we pulled the ancient spellslinging sorcerer's trick of "playing every ramp spell we could find", combined with some defensive creatures that will survive our various Pyroclasms and ping opponents whenever we do anything. That should be enough to get you to seven mana to have a Lightning Bolt or a Swan Song available, or maybe just run out a Mind Bomb at sorcery speed to make your seven mana into nine cards. It's a free country.

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Nuts and Bolts

There always seems to be a bit of interest in how these lists are made (this seems like a good time to stress once again that they are based on EDHREC score, NOT my personal opinion…), and people are often surprised that I’m not using any special data or .json from EDHREC, but rather just muddling my way through with some Scryfall knowledge! For your enjoyment/research, here is this week’s Scryfall search.

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What Do You Think?

I had originally planned to go into the history of Counter-Burn in this article, given that it's a fairly well-known archetype. What I rapidly found, however, is that despite it being well-known, it's never been... Good? The original deck back in the days of Draw-Go was a failed attempt at a meta call to beat out Draw-Go and fast aggro decks, and wasn't very good at it. The deck I remember from Invasion block that spammed Prophetic Bolt apparently never made it outside of my local meta. The strategy never really found a foothold in Legacy, Extended, Modern, or anywhere else that I could find, with the exception of niche 1998 format Old School. So, there's really no reason to think it would make it in Commander, right?

[Comment]Editors, I'd like a poll here with the following options:[/Comment]

Is Counter-Burn a viable strategy in Commander?

• I dunno, other than playing Bounce Lands, your deck looks fine.
• Nah, it's even weaker in a multiplayer environment where trading a card for a card means you're two cards short.
• Throw in some fast mana and free counters, and you've got a fringe cEDH deck here, tbh...

And finally, what is your favorite burn spell? Does it draw cards with Niv-Mizzet, Visionary? Did you find a successful Counter-Burn deck that I couldn't, in my research? Have you made Counter-Burn work in Commander?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at the table I'm going to light on fire. With a fire extinguisher nearby, of course.