Banefire

Sorcery, XR (1)
Banefire deals X damage to target creature or player.
If X is 5 or more, Banefire can't be countered by spells or abilities and the damage can't be prevented.
For Sarkhan Vol, the dragon is the purest expression of life's savage splendor.
Illus. Raymond Swanland

Gatherer Card Rulings [Nov 2009]

• 2/1/2009: Banefire checks the number you chose for X, not the amount of mana you actually spent.
• 2/1/2009: Banefire can be targeted by spells that try to counter it (such as Countersquall) regardless of what the value of X is. If X is 5 or more, those spells will still resolve, but the part of their effect that would counter Banefire won't do anything. Any other effects those spells have will work as normal.
• 2/1/2009: Banefire's ability won't prevent it from being countered by the game rules if its target has become an illegal target.

Format Legality	Legal in Vintage, Legacy, Extended, Standard
Printings (1/9)	Conflux (Rare)