Pointed Discussion

Now that Lightning bolt is back, no point in using this in extended for a quite awhile

Even after comeback of Lightning Bolt, Rift Bolt is still the second best burn spell in Extended. 3 damage for 1 mana is always good.

I never liked this card even if it is a tournament winner. I just don't like doing turn one do 3 to the head.

This is better than Bolt in an Erratic Explosion deck. If you run into it with the Explosion it still does three damage. If you don't, just suspend for three damage. True_Smog is right. You can't compare everything burn to Bolt. It's not a fair fight :p Bolt is sick, but that doesn't make this bad. THIS is a good card.

Now that Lightning Bolt is back I prefer Lava Spike over this.

A decent card. If you need to run a lot of cheap burn then I suppouse this could be good.

wow delayed lightning bolt, pretty cool actually. Obviously not as good, but bolt sets ridiculously high standards for burn spells. This card is as close as you can get to as good as Lightning Bolt.

I love Rift Bolt. I find something super satisfying about suspending one of these on turn one. Against a lot of the opponents I face, I find that it deters them from playing out their creatures. Little do they know I was planning on sending it to the dome anyway. I might even say I prefer it to Lightning Bolt. It's simply way more fun.

Rift Bolt + Lightning Bolt + Lava Spike + Chain Lightning + Incinerate+ the rest of your deck in blue control and fast draw (brainstorm etc) == fried chicken

This is one of my favorite burn spells. When played early, it can force your opponent to delay playing creatures. Depending on the deck, this is a better tactic than just blowing things up.

Also note this contributes to Storm abilities, essentially for no mana cost, during the turn after it is played.

A very flavourful bolt, the storm clouds taking time to gather. If lightning bolt didn't exist, this would be much better, as would all burn spells.

I remember when I first saw this, I thought "OMG! That´s the closest thing to Lightning bolt we are ever gonna get!"
Man was I naive back then...

@DarthParallax:

When you remove the last time counter from a suspended card, you cast it without paying its mana cost. So the opponent can counter it like any other spell. They can also use Nix on it. Actually, the Future Signt Pacts and cards with suspend were the reason for Nix's existence.

As for Rift Bolt itself, it's a perfect addition for red storm decks. Moreover, as has already been mentioned, by suspending it, you can quite often delay your opponent from casting a creature for a turn, which can be a really useful tempo advantage if you 're trying to combo FTW or if you're playing a con-trolling deck (pun intended).

Suspend it the turn before you plan to sacrifice Quest for Pure Flame. Leaves you with all your mana to cast other burn and adds 6 damage to the tally. Highly painful, and Rift Bolt is better than lightning bolt in several other situations too.

actually...I believe this is a Lightning Bolt that is uncounterable...or am I wrong about suspend?
Not STRICTLY better of course, but better than 'as good as'! Compared to Lightning Bolt, and even coming anywhere near that close to 'better than' makes this shockingly good. pun entirely intended.
this is like getting the crap beat out of you by Super Saiyan Goku, BUT YOU SURVIVED! wait no...Goku was too nice to kill...make that Super Saiyan Vegeta-AND YOU'RE STILL ALIVE! amazing. 3/20/11

EDIT: OK, so I knew nothing about Magic in 2011 :p

In one year, almost to the day, I've seen a lot more cards, built a lot more decks, and generally gotten better at Magic and evaluating cards and strategies. My new evaluation of this card is that, at 3 mana and sorcery speed for an effect that is fine at 2 mana and instant speed...

Always pay the Suspend Cost on Suspend cards. Always. Cyclical Evolution looks better once you realize it's two Giant Growths for about twice the cost of 1. In other words, fair.
Pardic Dragon is a Sad Panda, and Greater Gargadon is probably the best Suspend after Ancestral Vision.

DarthParallax, read suspend again. You cast it without paying it's mana cost when the time counter is removed, meaning you can counter it.

Suspend, then use Worldfire

My favorite thing about Rift Bolt is that it's the only burn spell I can think of that can clear away blockers without actually hitting them. Just the threat declaration of a suspended bolt will delay a Tarmogoyf or Dark Confidant from coming down on turn 2. Then it just burns the opponent for 3 having already kept the path clear for a pair of Spark Elementals or something. In that sense it's like a discounted Searing Blaze, coincidentally the next spell I plan to cast.

Nearly every card in Time Spiral was a throwback to at least one previously printed card.

This card references Lightning Bolt.