CR10 Similar to Eruption, maybe change it to 2-2 instead of 3-3.

Alternate flavour text: Amaaaazing blaze, how sweet, the fire / that burns the weak so freeeee....

Ok, ok, amusement at name over. Don't like apex, but this is a perfectly good use for it. Though it's a surprisingly good common-burn for a modern environment. Definitley encourages red to play a mix of creatures and burn; which is nice.

But as a common, does seem likely to confuse as to exactly when you check apex. Because the temptation will be to do so after killing the creature, and I'm pretty sure that is wrong.

You don't like Apex? Sad :/ Might be confusing to newbies when to check for it, but it's the same as with cards that have Metalcraft or Threshold etc. Check on casting and resolution, there is no timing involved in the Apex buff, you either have it when the creature gets burned or not.

I put more explanation of my Apex dislike on Burst of Power. It's certainly salvagable, but as written now, its implementation is problematic.

Note: Gustostückerl's comment is wrong. Apex doesn't check on casting and resolution. At the moment it checks partway through resolution only. Which means that the following three cards would all behave differently:

> ~ deals 3 damage to target creature. Apex - ~ deals 3 damage to that creature's controller.

> Destroy target creature with toughness 3 or less. Apex - ~ deals 3 damage to that creature's controller.

> Target creature gets -3/-3 UEOT. Apex - ~ deals 3 damage to that creature's controller.

I fear that level of timing subtlety is going to make this mechanic really problematic for casual players.

Why is it wrong? It should be the same as with Formidable, which (for triggered "if" abilities) checks if the ability will trigger, then again if it resolves. How could the 3 cards behave differently? As long as the card didn't resolve, a creature would not be dealt 3 damage, destroyed or get -3/-3. When it resolves, it applies whatever the card says if it checks out. You can't get in between the two effects.

You execute each sentence or clause of a spell one at a time, in order. The effects of an earlier sentence are (in general) completed before you start evaluating the next sentence.

If a card says "Destroy target creature with toughness 3 or less. Apex - ~ deals 3 damage to that creature's controller", then the destruction happens before the check for highest total power.

If a card says "Target creature gets -3/-3 UEOT. Apex - ~ deals 3 damage to that creature's controller", then the creature's power is reduced by 3, before the check for highest total power.

If it just dealt damage, then the creature might be sitting around as a 2/2 with 3 damage, ready to die at the next SBA check, but still having 2 power in the middle of resolution when the Apex check happens.

If you want an Apex check to check twice, then it needs to a) be a triggered ability (which spells aren't), and b) you need to include the "If" in-between the trigger clause and the result. Search the Comp Rules for "intervening ‘if’ clause" (around 603.4).

If you want Apex to check twice on spells, as in instants or sorceries? Once at announcement time when the spell is being cast and once on resolution? That's... going to be hard.

Note that Formidable didn't appear on any spells. All the triggered Formidable effects followed the intervening 'if' rule: [When/Whenever/At] [time], if [condition], [effect]. Your Apex phrasing here does not follow that templating, so I'm afraid you don't get the intervening-if behaviour.

That should be rectified then by inserting a "instead" into the Apex effect, like this:

Amazing Blaze deals 3 damage to target creature.

Apex - If creatures you control have total highest power, instead Amazing Blaze deals 3 damage to target creature and 3 damage to its controller.

Like with Arrow Storm or similar cards.

Yes, that works. That makes the check happen once, at the start of resolution.