Don't ever anger a ball of lightning. Seriously. Have I not said this before?
Westin
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(5 votes)
I don't know how thrilled I am with this card. I mean it's a good card, right? But Im not partial to cards that I have to dispose of after they've been used once. Never the less, if I happen to get one in a pack, box or fat pack I certainly won't be throwing it away. LOL
shoalsuser2004
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(9 votes)
I don't know how thrilled I am with this card. I mean it's a good card, right? But Im not partial to cards that I have to dispose of after they've been used once. You would be partial to it if you had a burn deck. Attack for 6 on the third turn with trample! Even if they have a couple of 1/1s out to double block, its still going to do 4 damage via trample. Hard to get a better creature for a burn deck.
Fredin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(16 votes)
Ball lightning is just a great card for any red aggro themed decks. I find it's creature status benefits it quite a bit (as you can't simply cancel it). However this card isn't without drawbacks. First of all while it's mana cost might be an extremely reasonable (3) it all must be red mana. Where am I getting at? Are you into multicolor decks? You can forget about using ball lightning right on the get go. I'm sure there must be a couple of ways around this however they all require you to be lucky enough to draw the right cards. Another drawback is that, while the creature status might give ball lightning some advantages, it also makes it vulnerable to creature elimination cards (such as doomblade, sure the name is cliche but the card is brutally effective). This little drawbacks might keep ball lightning from being an unstoppable nightmare, but it is still an excellent source for quick damage. I think all red oriented players should consider adding one, two, maybe even three into their decks. I'd give this returning bad boy a 4/5.
God_of_Destruction
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(7 votes)
Great card for a red deck... turn three for a electrifying disaster... red cards really know how to have fun...i just love red and black cards... unlike white and blue that favors workloads over fun... tsk tsk...
ghostie1337
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(12 votes)
Ball lightning is just a great card for any red aggro themed decks. I find it's creature status benefits it quite a bit (as you can't simply cancel it
Creatures are spells. Cancel WOrks.
spoonish
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(6 votes)
Creatures are spells. Cancel WOrks.
i think the previous point is... say you knew that your opponent was sporting a aggro red deck, its your third turn, and theres a chance he can cast a ball lightning next turn, u wouldnt play anything? in other words set your game back an entire turn, just so u can maybe counter a ball lightning (that he may or may not have in his hand)?
major complaint though, i think space could be saved by not having reminder text for trample (i think most players figured that one out already), and add some flavor? i think in the entire history of ball lightning, there hasn't been a single flavor.
CeremonialBathory
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Fredin, ghostie is right. Also, Cancel is pretty terrible. You should only use it if you can't get a hold of a Counterspell. I do agree with you though, this card is wonderful - but I do disagree that it needs to be a pure red deck to run it. It really just needs to be primarily red. And there are always things that can tap for both red and another color you decide to run. Crumbling Necropolis or Boros Garrison, for example. Also, some non-lands (Veinfire Borderpost). Yes, the mana cost tells you that you should be running primarily red - but not all red. So yes, please keep these. They're good. =P (Plus, if you rated it a 4/5 in your post - why did you give it a .5/5 on the rating system?)
Arachibutyrophobia
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(9 votes)
I wonder how many people here actually know what Ball Lightning is? Well, for those of you who don't, it's an "atmospheric electrical phenomenon". No one is quite sure what it is, but it has been observed appearing out of nowhere (with or without a thunderstorm nearby), usually hovering or floating along, and then mysteriously vanishing. It can be incendiary, or it can phase through objects without leaving a trace. If you want to learn more about it, go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning
So yeah, even though Ball Lightning doesn't really have a little mouth and eyes, it is real!
Great card, there's not much out on turn three that can stop a Ball Lightning unless it's a wall like Wall of Frost or Wall of Denial.
SirDoom
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(14 votes)
The flavor text should just be "ZZZOTT"
Iiory
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(6 votes)
it is so sick .some of theese,some hellspark elementals and some burnning spells...welll fast victory
ederchan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is great for a aggro red deck!
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(16 votes)
Man This New Art Rakes Its Really Cool And Ball Lightning Is So Fun Great Reprint. Hope Everyone Gets A Chance To Play It
h4mx0r
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Watch out for First Strikers! Deft Duelist for example. Granted, not alot of people play that card, but my point still stands.
skoll92
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
ahhhhhhhh! run!
a7141988
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If your opponents have any untapped creatures with first strike, then this is useless....otherwise it's good. So, it's situational. I wish it had more toughness, but it would go well with cards that bounce things back to your hand, so that you can repeatedly ball lightning.
Bauble
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
@ Fredin Cancel works. Summoning is a spell. There's also Essence Scatter and white removal instants like Path To Exile that saves your opponent from taking an early 6 damage. As Ceremonialbathory has pointed out, there are cards that give you different mana colours for multi-coloured decks. (More to add to Ceremonialbathory's list would be Ancient Ziggurat or Rupture Spire.)
@ Ceremonialbathory I think it was Fredin's comment that was rated a .5, not his rating of the card.
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I like this card. Maybe if Sedris, the Traitor King were on the battlefield, you could do yet another 6 damage for {2}{B}, for all you Grixis players out there. Simple, cheap, efficient card that most burn decks should have. 4/5
Keino
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I actually like the cards that don't stay on the table...more room for AoE Burn spells like Pyroclasm. I also like using Onslaught and Furious Assault with things like these....I like red....red is fun.....
MightyMortox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just don't try to play him against their 2/1 First Striker
CheloniaMania
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"I HATE first strike"
bakofried
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'd say one of the best decks to play this in would be mono-red sligh. Burn away any pesky blockers, drop this bad boy, and go to town!
flzooman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is just a great card! its easy to pay the mana to get it out of your hand and once you do you can play it right away! i only wish its defense was higher. but still one awesome card to have and play.
VirtueVsVice
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
4.5/5
The only problem is when someone bolts or bursts this. You could even use a Vithian Stinger to kill it for that matter, or, as was mentioned, First Strikers.
kowrip
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I've always liked this card. I use it in a green/red deck to combine it with giant growth and/or blood lust. You have to be careful of first strike, though. A single Tundra Wolf can render this card useless.
Nickkom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
great card. Seems like they can never get good art for it. I guess it's hard to envision a ball of lightening being a creature.
.Fighter.
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I love this card's art <3
Snaxme
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Ball Lightning need flavor text. The masses demand it.
thezanet
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Great balls of lightning!
spurmwalefury
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
So run 4 ball lightning and 4 spark elemental s and 4 disentomb and then enemies turn into puddles of estrogen
zqft
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(8 votes)
LIGHTNING NEEDS NO FLAVOR
NeoSin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I dont get why everyone keeps mentioning creatures with first strike, and red deck is obviously running burn, so just burn the creature and play this card. I mean sure, its sets you back a turn, but I mean its worth it.
Teotanek
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why elemntal wizards, why ? it was ball lightning, ball lightning.
Mista-Bond
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
When u have to deal with first strikers, just use Double cleave
Aun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
not useful at all. Rather use lightning bolt.
KnockK
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
"First Strike, he sucks" ORLY! well that's why red has burn spells.
Duskdale_Wurm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The artwork rocks!
Kelrath
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
Everybody's favorite ball-shaped lighting is back.
Bauble.. Ball lightning costs 3 red. That's a mono red card if I ever did see one.
Sedris costs one of each of Grixis's colors. If you were ever looking for a card with a low color weight, it was for his deck.
Anyway, balanced card. A it's good, B it doesn't break any rules, and C you can defend yourself from it.
Any aggro deck should have one.
Silverware
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love the art for this ball lightning, Trevor Claxton does a great job here.
Ball lightning is an amazing card that really fits into red. It can be very risky to play due to pingers who can kill it before it even attacks, and pretty much any card that deals at least one damage at instant speed. Also creatures with firststrike really ruin ball lightnings day. But when you get past all the little problems that can present themselves as threats for ball lightning it is pure undeniable power.
I have seen three ball lightnings hit the field in one turn and it was gg right then and there.
It is one of thouse few older cards that has actully aged well. R&D knows that this card is loved by many, infact that is why it has seen so many reprints and knock offs. Put simply it is a classic.
Also, if you love Ball Lightning and you perfer to play green (possibly for the mana excel) consider groundbreaker.
LarsBM
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Very red, very good.
Superllama12
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The true embodiment of red
Feralsymphony
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If they would print a Dark Ritual, then we could drop this on turn 1, but NO, we get stuck with Pyretic Ritual
mdakw576
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
if an enemy has a first strike creature out, then obv burn the creature and then ball lightning afterwards. You're red; you have burns in your hand for this purpose.
if the enemy has a burn or some kind of removal for it, at least it's 1 for 1 (though you're probably set back 1-2 mana). Or it gets counter'd, fog'd, etc. The thing is, lots of creatures face these problems. But when it comes down to it, ball lightning is 6 damage for 3 mana. It's hard to find a better deal than that.
ScissorsLizard
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great card, but I do love the mental image of little Mosquito Guard taking this thing down.
RazzmatazzTheGreat
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@: Feralsymphony You could always exile Simian Spirit Guide to reach that turn 1 Ritual ;-)
Rather than drop a fatty for , you could always drop this guy in the fray and then enchant him with Lightning Talons for a flavorful way to cause some serious havoc.
Comments (52)
You would be partial to it if you had a burn deck. Attack for 6 on the third turn with trample! Even if they have a couple of 1/1s out to double block, its still going to do 4 damage via trample. Hard to get a better creature for a burn deck.
Creatures are spells. Cancel WOrks.
i think the previous point is...
say you knew that your opponent was sporting a aggro red deck, its your third turn, and theres a chance he can cast a ball lightning next turn, u wouldnt play anything? in other words set your game back an entire turn, just so u can maybe counter a ball lightning (that he may or may not have in his hand)?
major complaint though, i think space could be saved by not having reminder text for trample (i think most players figured that one out already), and add some flavor? i think in the entire history of ball lightning, there hasn't been a single flavor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ball_lightning
So yeah, even though Ball Lightning doesn't really have a little mouth and eyes, it is real!
Great card, there's not much out on turn three that can stop a Ball Lightning unless it's a wall like Wall of Frost or Wall of Denial.
Cancel works. Summoning is a spell. There's also Essence Scatter and white removal instants like Path To Exile that saves your opponent from taking an early 6 damage. As Ceremonialbathory has pointed out, there are cards that give you different mana colours for multi-coloured decks. (More to add to Ceremonialbathory's list would be Ancient Ziggurat or Rupture Spire.)
@ Ceremonialbathory
I think it was Fredin's comment that was rated a .5, not his rating of the card.
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I like this card. Maybe if Sedris, the Traitor King were on the battlefield, you could do yet another 6 damage for {2}{B}, for all you Grixis players out there. Simple, cheap, efficient card that most burn decks should have. 4/5
The only problem is when someone bolts or bursts this. You could even use a Vithian Stinger to kill it for that matter, or, as was mentioned, First Strikers.
Sedris costs one of each of Grixis's colors. If you were ever looking for a card with a low color weight, it was for his deck.
Anyway, balanced card. A it's good, B it doesn't break any rules, and C you can defend yourself from it.
Any aggro deck should have one.
Ball lightning is an amazing card that really fits into red. It can be very risky to play due to pingers who can kill it before it even attacks, and pretty much any card that deals at least one damage at instant speed. Also creatures with firststrike really ruin ball lightnings day. But when you get past all the little problems that can present themselves as threats for ball lightning it is pure undeniable power.
I have seen three ball lightnings hit the field in one turn and it was gg right then and there.
It is one of thouse few older cards that has actully aged well. R&D knows that this card is loved by many, infact that is why it has seen so many reprints and knock offs. Put simply it is a classic.
Also, if you love Ball Lightning and you perfer to play green (possibly for the mana excel) consider groundbreaker.
if the enemy has a burn or some kind of removal for it, at least it's 1 for 1 (though you're probably set back 1-2 mana). Or it gets counter'd, fog'd, etc. The thing is, lots of creatures face these problems. But when it comes down to it, ball lightning is 6 damage for 3 mana. It's hard to find a better deal than that.
You could always exile Simian Spirit Guide to reach that turn 1 Ritual ;-)
Just kidding, this card is great