Unique Planeswalker Interactions with Furnace Host Charger

Unique Planeswalker Interactions with Furnace Host Charger

In TCG ·

Furnace Host Charger card art from March of the Machine, a red Phyrexian Giant with Haste

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Planeswalker Interactions in Red: A Furnace Host Charger Moment

When you think of Furnace Host Charger, the first image that comes to mind is not “spender of loyalty counters,” but rather a red giant crashing onto the battlefield with blazing speed. This 6-mana threat from March of the Machine carries a 5/5 body and the keyword of Haste, which means it can threaten a planeswalker or swing for damage the moment it lands. The real magic, though, is how its Mountaincycling ability reshapes the tempo of red decks that want to menace planeswalkers while still maintaining a firmer grip on the game. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Placing this card on the battlefield forces a delicate dance with opponent planeswalkers. A 5/5 with Haste can immediately pressure a loyalist, making the walker either retreat to safety or be forced to expend a removal spell—potentially tipping the balance in your favor for the rest of the turn. In red strategies, that’s priceless tempo: you don’t merely remove a threat; you push your own damage window with the same swipe. The charger’s presence also communicates to your opponents that you’re not simply behind on mana—you’re loading up to push through a decisive blow, one swing at a time. ⚔️🧨

What makes Furnace Host Charger truly sing against planeswalkers is its Mountaincycling. By discarding it for {2}, you search your library for a Mountain card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. That’s red mana acceleration with built-in redundancy: even if you drew it late, you can still fetch the Mountain you need to cast the next burn spell, a larger spell, or the walker you’re targeting. The Mountain can fuel expensive redraws, activate a red planeswalker’s ultimate more reliably, or simply ensure you have the correct color of mana when your opponent tries to pivot around their walkers. Mountaincycling turns a big creature into a flexible mana engine—an elegant intertwine of offense and mana management that planeswalker-heavy boards love to hate. 🧙‍♀️💎

The card’s broader design in the MOM set embraces a family of cycling tools—Mountaincycling, Landcycling, Typecycling, and the generic Cycling keyword—creating a palette of mid-to-late-game options that reward thoughtful sequencing. Furnace Host Charger isn’t just a big body; it’s a gateway to tempo-rich plays that punish walkers for overextending or mismanaging their loyalty counters. Flavor text about an avalanche crashing into Kaldheim’s defenders echoes the unstoppable pressure red can mount when the battlefield tilts in its favor. The art by Andreas Zafiratos captures that kinetic moment when basalt and battle collide in a single, brutal moment. 🎨

Strategic takeaways: how to leverage this card against planeswalkers

  • Tempo with haste: Cast on turn six or faster, threaten a planeswalker immediately, and force a decision from your opponent—protect the walker or eat a 5/5 with built-in aggression. The moment your creature taps, the fight shifts in your favor. 🔥
  • Mana-sculpting with Mountaincycling: Discard to fetch a Mountain, ensuring you have the red mana needed to activate costly abilities or to fuel a decisive removal spell against a troublesome walker. It’s the kind of bring-your-own-ramps-to-the-table flexibility red players adore. 🧙‍♂️
  • Planeswalker finishers and reach: Use the Charger to apply pressure and then follow with a finisher or a targeted spell that removes loyalty, ensuring the walker can’t stabilize. This is red’s specialty: turning a slow plan into swift, decisive damage. ⚔️
  • Cycle for value: Even if the Charger isn’t the final piece, its cycling potential means you’re always sculpting toward the next threat. Sometimes the best play is simply to keep the pressure up while you refill your hand. 🎲
“In a world of planeswalkers who can reset the board with a single activation, red edge is about making a sentence with each attack.”

That sentiment has long defined red strategies, and Furnace Host Charger embodies it: a card that demands attention on arrival, punishes overcommitment to walkers, and maintains momentum with a disciplined cycling engine. The result is a card that feels bigger than its common rarity implies, especially in a meta where planeswalkers loom large. 🧙‍♂️🔥

Design, value, and flavor notes

As a common from March of the Machine, Furnace Host Charger offers accessibility without sacrificing the thrill of interaction. Its mono-red identity, combined with Haste and potent cycling options, makes it a prime pick for budget red builds that still want to punch above their weight when faced with a planeswalker plan. The artwork’s sense of momentum and the flavor text about a mountain-sized avalanche bring a memorable, tactile feel to a card that’s often overlooked in the early set discussions. The card’s timeless appeal comes not from raw rarity, but from the way its miniature toolkit—haste, cycling, and tempo—fits neatly into red’s battle-tested playbook. 💎

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Furnace Host Charger

Furnace Host Charger

{5}{R}
Creature — Phyrexian Giant

Haste

Mountaincycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for a Mountain card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.)

With barely a moment's warning, a one-giant avalanche crashed into Kaldheim's defenders.

ID: 2d142ded-a2df-41b0-9c02-056b5f34abab

Oracle ID: fea60c45-cc36-4dd1-8475-23a9361e370d

Multiverse IDs: 607179

TCGPlayer ID: 491712

Cardmarket ID: 704801

Colors: R

Color Identity: R

Keywords: Mountaincycling, Landcycling, Haste, Typecycling, Cycling

Rarity: Common

Released: 2023-04-21

Artist: Andreas Zafiratos

Frame: 2015

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 17239

Penny Rank: 2543

Set: March of the Machine (mom)

Collector #: 140

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — legal
  • Timeless — legal
  • Gladiator — legal
  • Pioneer — legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — not_legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.03
  • USD_FOIL: 0.05
  • EUR: 0.09
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.10
  • TIX: 0.03
Last updated: 2025-11-15