Pyroclasm (Original Sketch)

Pyroclasm is a two-mana red sorcery, first printed in Ice Age (1995), that deals 2 damage to each creature. It’s one of Magic’s oldest and most iconic sweepers. For two mana, it efficiently wipes mana dorks, early-game aggro creatures, tribal decks, tokens, and small utility creatures. Pyroclasm is the prototype for cheap red sweepers (e.g. Anger of the Gods, Kozilek’s Return). It was a Standard staple in multiple eras between Ice Age and Magic 2010, especially in archetypes and decks like Blue-Red Control, Red-based Midrange, Tron-style ramp decks, Wildfire / Big Red and Urzatron. Many Standard formats were dominated by small creature decks, and Pyroclasm could efficiently reset the board. In Extended, Pyroclasm was a key anti-aggro tool in decks such as UR Control, Tooth and Nail ramp and Tron. In Modern (especially 2011-2016), Pyroclasm was heavily played in GR Tron before being replaced by other sweepers (e.g. Kozilek’s Return, Firespout). This deck often ran 2-4 copies in the main or sideboard, to handle decks like Affinity, Zoo, Merfolk, Elves, and Infect. Pyroclasm was often the card that kept Tron alive long enough to assemble its “Urza” lands (Urza’s Mine, Urza’s Power Plant and Urza’s Tower), and win with cards like Karn Liberated or Wurmcoil Engine. It was one of the defining cards that kept aggressive decks honest in early Modern. Pyroclasm is not on the Reserved List, and has been reprinted many times.