| Name | Heated Argument  |
|---|---|
| Type | Instant |
| Description | Heated Argument deals 6 damage to target creature. You may exile a card from your graveyard. If you do, Heated Argument also deals 2 damage to that creature's controller. |
| Flavor | "I don't want to hurt you, Ajani, but whatever Jace is planning needs to be stopped!" |
| Artist | Aleksi Briclot |
| Set | Secrets of Strixhaven #118 |
| Wallpaper |  download |
| Image |  download |
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Heated Argument, Instant, designed by Aleksi Briclot first released in Mar, 2026 in the set Secrets of Strixhaven.
Heated Argument fits best in slower red-based midrange or control decks—especially in Limited or Standard formats where cleanly dealing 6 damage at instant speed can answer large creatures—while the optional graveyard exile provides a small bonus in decks that naturally fill the graveyard (spells-matter, self-mill, or sacrifice shells). However, at five mana it’s inefficient compared to many alternatives: in Standard and Pioneer, cards like **Play with Fire**, **Lightning Strike**, **Rending Flame**, or **Abrade** offer cheaper, more flexible removal, and in older formats **Lightning Bolt** and **Unholy Heat** are far more efficient; even **Flame-Blessed Bolt** can be preferable for exile utility at a lower cost. Because five-mana removal needs to provide major upside to be competitive, Heated Argument is generally too expensive for Constructed play and is mostly a solid but unexciting Limited card rather than a staple for competitive decks.
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