Essentially, its ball lightning that takes time to get into play. 3.5
mkniffen
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@sir_dwar
I think it deserves a better rating because you can bring the elemental into play at instant speed.
Volcre
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Trust me, its not really as good as it might seem. A decent card but Ball Lightning and Elemental Appeal are still better.
Enigma
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Interesting looking shrine...
Foodtime
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
actually pretty amazing Played this and a kicked elemental appeal at the same time at the release tournament. swing for 21 trample damage. He survived with 1 life (damn life-gaining lands) and he swung for game on his turn. Was pretty cool tho.
AlphaNumerical
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Oh my god, I lost with 5 of these. (3 boosters, Draft, their pool was so good that they passed THAT many over to me. My pool was downright terrible; I didn't use a single rare, and almost no uncommons)
Lost a dice roll and the guy arrow volley trapped my dual 7/1 haste tramples and my Gul Draz Vampire.. would have won that or the next turn. Sigh.
Stuntman
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
If you can get the elemental in play the same turn as you play the Shrine, it's as good as Ball Lightning. With landfall decks, this is possible, but may not be as consistent as I like. I think that a landfall deck can get the elemental in play the turn after consistently. It may be able to get it into play the same turn some of the time, but often enough to be worth playing. I see this as more of a late game finisher used in conjunction with another landfall card. Ball Lighting has the advantage that you can get it in play early while your opponent may be tapped out. I just don't think that Shrine Expedition is that great early on. At best, it forces your opponent to keep mana or a first strike creature untapped early.
wolfbear2
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@volcre
Are you kidding me? This IS as good, if not amazing. For those of you not use to control red decks, this is amazing. And zone mana investment for 7/1 haste trample after a sweeper is just insult to injury. If this gets in with the Luminarch Ascension/Day of Judgment/Earthquake deck that's been growing...
with Pandemonium, this can turn into a 7 damage kill spell at instant speed and block another attacker. In the right deck, better than Ball Lightning, but in most cases, the Balls are just better.
HuntedWumpusMustDie
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I've been using this in a multicolored lanfall based deck and it's working surprisingly well. Almost always get the effect the turn after being played or even the turn played. Also, in multicolored decks, ball lightning and elemental appeal's cost can become awkward.
DlCK
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is deffinetly a win condition if you can get it out early. by turn 5, i've hit one guy for 26 damage all at once via giant growth x2 and mage slayer.
why it's so good is it doesn't use precious mana to spawn. if you're playing a fast red/green deck like i've built, you need a free 7/1 haste trample and open mana. when you've got 5 mana open it lets you pump with giant growth or colossal might, or equip mage slayer or use ooze garden, and obviously even electropotence.
it's deffinetly a necessary creature for any red/green beats deck. 4.5/5 (the artwork sucks, i mean are they traveling to a giant vaglna? wtf).
EternalLurker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Huh. I think I'll see if I can fit this in my RG Doubling Season deck. 2 mana, then play a fetchland: put two 7/1 tramplers into play? Do want.
fastpond
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
ball lightning still better, i'd rather pay extra mana than wait to play more lands to get extra 1 power.
EnV
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey I assume I was under the impression that this was a 7/1 flash, trample and haste. WOW three turns or with the new landfall cards this gets better. And even if this in just an RRR aggro deck, why not use this and Ball Lightning huh? Yeah thats what I thought. HAHAHAHA
Catmurderer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This has great synergy with Flagstones of Trokair (especially if you hit it with your own Ghost Quarter)
Definitely underestimated. Fetchlands make this easier to pull off, as well as any bring land to the field card. Or just Fling it when it gets there, either way you're gonna do some damage with this thing.
benegade
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Who cares if Ball Lightning is better? Use both. We're talking about decks that use Burst Lightning AND Lightning Bolt. The expedition frees up your mana so you can get a Ball and a token on the same turn - quite early, turn 4 maybe. In my mind, a better play turn 2 than an Ember Hauler or Teetering Peaks, Goblin Guide. Actually, the peaks/guide combo is pretty good, but so is the shrine.
Go first Turn 1 - mountain Turn 2 - mountain, Zektar Shrine Turn 3 - Mountain, what ever turn 4 - Evolving Wilds Now, if they are tapped out or dont run any removal/have any that can deal with this, put the elemental into play. now play Assault Strobe, Swing. No Responses? play a Brute Force. Unless they got a creature GG. Byt this time they should have been forced to block with something that made them go to 3 health. 4 if lucky. now you just wait for a Lightning Bolt, or on turn 4 play another land and use Burst Lightning.
Also if necessary turn 4 use double cleave for an instant speed double strike surprise.
If you're playing this in a landfall deck, that opening isn't very unlikely.
DivineNocturnus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seven damage for two mana is great. Love that it has trample so you don't waste the token on a chump blocker.
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You can use it defensively, too, by activating it during your opponent's turn after attackers are declared and using it to block. Usually it's not the best way to use it in a red deck, but it's a nice option to have.
personsunknown
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@infernox10 the turn after you play zekter shrine expedition, you play a mountain. ZSE now has 1 counter the turn after that, you play evolving wilds. it entered the battlefield, so ZSE has 2 counters. tap the evolving wilds, sac it. search for a mountain or somesuch, and put it onto the battlefield. since it entered the battlefield, ZSE now has 3 counters.
Comments (37)
I think it deserves a better rating because you can bring the elemental into play at instant speed.
Played this and a kicked elemental appeal at the same time at the release tournament.
swing for 21 trample damage.
He survived with 1 life (damn life-gaining lands) and he swung for game on his turn. Was pretty cool tho.
Lost a dice roll and the guy arrow volley trapped my dual 7/1 haste tramples and my Gul Draz Vampire.. would have won that or the next turn. Sigh.
Are you kidding me? This IS as good, if not amazing. For those of you not use to control red decks, this is amazing. And zone mana investment for 7/1 haste trample after a sweeper is just insult to injury. If this gets in with the Luminarch Ascension/Day of Judgment/Earthquake deck that's been growing...
why it's so good is it doesn't use precious mana to spawn. if you're playing a fast red/green deck like i've built, you need a free 7/1 haste trample and open mana. when you've got 5 mana open it lets you pump with giant growth or colossal might, or equip mage slayer or use ooze garden, and obviously even electropotence.
it's deffinetly a necessary creature for any red/green beats deck. 4.5/5 (the artwork sucks, i mean are they traveling to a giant vaglna? wtf).
Where are you getting the third counter to activate on T3?
Turn 1 - mountain
Turn 2 - mountain, Zektar Shrine
Turn 3 - Mountain, what ever
turn 4 - Evolving Wilds Now, if they are tapped out or dont run any removal/have any that can deal with this, put the elemental into play. now play Assault Strobe, Swing. No Responses? play a Brute Force. Unless they got a creature GG. Byt this time they should have been forced to block with something that made them go to 3 health. 4 if lucky. now you just wait for a Lightning Bolt, or on turn 4 play another land and use Burst Lightning.
Also if necessary turn 4 use double cleave for an instant speed double strike surprise.
@infernox10 Whoops. Fix'd.
T2: Expedition
T3: Land, Harrow
If you're playing this in a landfall deck, that opening isn't very unlikely.
the turn after you play zekter shrine expedition, you play a mountain.
ZSE now has 1 counter
the turn after that, you play evolving wilds. it entered the battlefield, so ZSE has 2 counters.
tap the evolving wilds, sac it. search for a mountain or somesuch, and put it onto the battlefield. since it entered the battlefield, ZSE now has 3 counters.