Is Balefire Dragon legal in Standard, Modern, and Commander?

Balefire Dragon is legal in: Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Historic.

Balefire Dragon

Q: What type of card is Balefire Dragon?

Balefire Dragon is a Creature — Dragon. Its oracle text reads: "Flying Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, it deals that much damage to each creature that player controls. *If it comes for you, die boldly or die swiftly—for die you will.* Power/Toughness: 6/6"

Creature — Dragon

Flying

Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, it deals that much damage to each creature that player controls.

*If it comes for you, die boldly or die swiftly—for die you will.*

Power/Toughness: 6/6

Set Commander Masters

Rarity Mythic Rare

Mana Value 7

Artist Eric Deschamps

Collector # 207

Scryfall

Standard	Not legal
Pioneer	Not legal
Modern	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Commander	Legal
Pauper	Not legal
Historic	Legal

Why Play Balefire Dragon

At seven mana, you're paying for a game-ending threat that can single-handedly clear opposing boards while pressuring life totals. The dragon excels in midrange and ramp strategies that can accelerate into its hefty cost, particularly decks running mana dorks or ramp spells. Once it connects for combat damage, it essentially acts as a one-sided board wipe, making it devastating against creature-heavy strategies and token decks. The flying keyword ensures reliable damage against most boards, making the triggered ability almost guaranteed.

Format Notes

Commander represents this dragon's strongest showing, where the multiplayer nature amplifies its board-clearing potential and higher life totals make the mana investment more reasonable. In competitive formats like Modern and Legacy, the seven-mana cost proves prohibitive against faster strategies, though it occasionally appears in ramp shells or as a transformational sideboard threat. Historic provides a middle ground where ramp strategies can reasonably deploy it against midrange creature decks.

Combos & Synergies

Xenagos, God of Revels creates explosive turns by giving the dragon haste and doubling its power, leading to massive damage spreads across opposing creatures. Sneak Attack enables cheating the dragon into play early, bypassing its mana cost for immediate board impact. Dragon Hatchling and similar mana acceleration help reach seven mana consistently, while Rhythm of the Wild provides both haste and protection from counterspells when deploying this expensive threat.