Zenith Flare (IKO)

Instant

Zenith Flare deals X damage to any target and you gain X life, where X is the number of cards with a cycling ability in your graveyard.

Powerful finisher for cycling and Jeskai strategies. Zenith Flare rewards you for filling your graveyard with cycled cards, turning a low-impact mechanic into a genuine threat that closes games while stabilizing your life total. In Pioneer and Modern cycling decks, it's the payoff that makes the whole engine worthwhile—typically dealing 4–8 damage while gaining life in the mid-to-late game. Commander players building around cycling or Astral Drift effects will find it a reliable win condition that scales naturally with deck construction.

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths — Uncommon