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Punishing Fire

{1}{R}

Instant

PLSTThe List#DDG-66uncommon
Banned in Modern
Border
black
Frame
2003
Pull rate
~1 in 121
Illustrator
Greg Staples
Found in
Mystery Booster 2 Booster Pack
Printings5
CommanderLegalModernBannedStandardNot legal
Format legality
AlchemyNot legal
BrawlNot legal
CommanderLegal
Competitive BrawlNot legal
DuelLegal
Future StandardNot legal
GladiatorNot legal
HistoricNot legal
LegacyLegal
ModernBanned
OathbreakerLegal
Old SchoolNot legal
PauperNot legal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
PennyNot legal
PioneerNot legal
PreDHLegal
PremodernNot legal
StandardNot legal
Standard BrawlNot legal
TimelessNot legal
Tiny LeadersLegal
VintageLegal
Punishing Fire deals 2 damage to any target. Whenever an opponent gains life, you may pay {R}. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand.

Plays as: Recursion · Burn · Planeswalker Removal

Market · per finishspark updated 8h ago · prices as of 2026-07-13
Nonfoil+0.0%
$0.29
$0.09 low$0.08 gap
Cheapest playable copy$0.29· across 5 printings

Rulings

3 · latest Oct 1, 2009 · one tap opens all
  • WotCOct 1, 2009

    If Punishing Fire has left your graveyard by the time its triggered ability resolves, you may still pay {R}, but you won't return it to your hand. This is true even if Punishing Fire has left your graveyard and returned to it by the time its triggered ability resolves.

  • WotCOct 1, 2009

    Punishing Fire's triggered ability triggers only if it's already in your graveyard at the time an opponent gains life. For example, you can cast it in response to a spell or ability that will cause an opponent to gain life. In that case, Punishing Fire will resolve first, so it will be in the graveyard by the time the opponent gains life. However, if you wait until an opponent actually gains life and then cast Punishing Fire, you won't be able to return it to your hand at that time.

  • WotCOct 1, 2009

    You choose whether to pay {R} as the triggered ability resolves.