I actually like this better than Ball Lightning. :
Lestat13
★☆☆☆☆ (1.3/5.0)(6 votes)
You won't get the kicker, and it's one more mana for one more power over Ball Lightning - I do NOT want to pull any of these in any packs.
sir_dwar
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
Considering mana acceleration is a specialty of Zendikar, you very well may get to pay the kicker. which might be a little impractical, but its still a bit demoralizing to be facing a trampler with 14 power.
bakofried
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(11 votes)
Do people like Blistering Firecat? Yes. Do people like options? Yes. Good card.
Ruminite436
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this is great if youve activated pyromancers ascension
Ctoaun14
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(18 votes)
"I cast Elemental appeal and kick it. 14/1 trampler coming your way." "I block it with Boros Recruit." Sheesh...
Qazior
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
@ Ctoaun14 : Why would u do that, if opponent has that boros recruit there, i ask?
True_Mumin
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(4 votes)
This kicker seems entirely pointless. The card is plenty good on its own, fits into the curve of a mono R burn deck perfectly. For nine mana, I'd much rather make five copies of the strongest creature on board or something, not pump out a token that dies to, well, everything, and leave myself wide open for retaliation. A really weird design...
VirtueVsVice
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
This card is easily 4/5. Yes, it's worse than Ball Lightning, but anything that's better than Ball Lightning would pretty much (almost certainly) be broken.
MANY cards are worse than Ball Lightning, that doesn't mean they are bad cards though. It just means they are only amazing instead of super-amazing.
Elemental Appeal should be in most TypeII {R} sligh decks.
Blaqkheart
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I pulled a pretty sick combo with this card. First turn get out Zektar Shrine Expedition, by the fourth turn being able to play this you have two 7/1 with haste and one with trample. If they don't have anything out that is 14 damage. Next turn I had another one of these in my hand and won. That game was fast. Not like that is going to happen often, but it can. Still a good card. 4/5
Nickkom
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
for one extra R, you only get a +1/+0 over ball lightning. Still, it does fit the red curve well.
Actually, the kicker is very interesting. Really, its a game finisher. At turn nine, if you haven't won yet with your burn deck, you're opponent should be at about half life-ish, with a few creatures on the board. If you kick this card, your opponent is forced to give up quite a few creatures to keep from dying, crippling his team. If you kick this, you're probably looking at a win next turn.
ReturnToSender
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Only thing I hate when using cards like this is when there's a first strike creature at the other side of the field.
JaxsonBateman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Blaqkheart - how do you get out a Zektar Shrine Expedition on turn 1, given that it costs 1R? =)
It's a good card, but what's really handy about it is the fact it's a sorcery and not a creature. Combos well with Pyromancer Ascension (though the most successful pyro decks at the moment seems to revolve around creature spot removal and card draw), and could be recast with Chandra Ablaze's major if you ever get up to it.
zpikduM
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This works with Chandra Ablaze ulti, Ball Lightning doesnt, so you get 7/1's with Unearth. Winner
Laguz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I can't believe you brought up Boros Recruit of all things as a way to disparage this thing. Sad.
rambol
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Think this could work in Extended All-in Red with mana acceleration?
nammertime
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ReturnToSender: Another thing I hate about a card like this is the fact that even a card like Searing Touch can kill this thing. I'm not saying it's not a good card, but it's a bit vulnerable.
Vampire__
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's an almost as good version of ball lightning. Plus if you go into the late game, this can be a finisher (though in late game, the un-kicked version is still a finisher...). Meh. Still a great card though!
Even though Elemental Appeal cost one more red to cast, I think it is just as good as Ball Lightning in standard. Why? because it combos with cards in the block that make it more effective like Pyromancer's Assension and Chandra Ablaze. Ball Lightning only serves one purpose while Appeal can serve three.
mdakw576
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
lol @ people thinking this card sucks
It's a slightly more expensive (and slightly more power) ball lightning with a potential kicker. If ball lightning is worth a 4-5 (and it should), then this is at least a 4.
Gako
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Who else would have preferred the kicker to give it doublestrike?
Gaussgoat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think the kicker is playable in non-Standard formats. There are several cards create huge mana sources for Red which will satisfy most of the initial casting cost, so late game coming up with the other 7 shouldn't be too bad.
But really, the kicker is just butter compared to a very strong sorcery that creates an instant threat. It is also worth mentioning that blue counters which are creature-centric wont work on this guy, so someone waiting for a Ball Lightning is going to get a nasty surprise when this hits the table.
4/5
EvilCleavage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is pretty much a ball lightning that costs one more but has one more power and can be 14/1. Overall, not better than ball lightning. Ball lightning is the shizz and the art is way cooler. But overall, a good card definitely.
Ribsublover
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Always fun to twincast. 2 7/1 trample haste for 6 cmc. Sure it can be a problem to get that exact mana combination, but that doesn't stop it from being fun when it happens.
Spags
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Basically a ball lightning, but with the (ever so slight) chance of it being something bigger. And yes, it has one toughness, yes, it dies to virtually everything in the game, but then, isn't that why you play it when you think it will go through? 4/5, and it would be 5 if the kicker weren't impossible to pull off in a fast red deck.
SoulShatterer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Well, only counter I could think of for this would be a 1/1 Flasher with Rightousness.
This one actually becomes valuable with Koth in play. 14 damage on 1 cards is lovely heavy hitting!
signok79
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
i agree toversnol ive been playtesting with a playset and playset of Koth.
DarkCerberusXX
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
And don't forget that when using this card and Ball lightning your normally playing with multiplication via Fling, Pandemonium, Rancor, etc. So ball lightning you need 4 for a kill, ie 12 mana (base), and you need 3 for a kill with this, ie also 12 mana (base), but one less card (not even counting kicker). You could, if properly mana accelerated, Play, Reckless Charge (to keep mono colored), Fling, 7 mana 20 damage, whereas a ball lightning would leave you at 18.
So is it worse or better than ball lightning? Depends on the other cards you have. If you have two colors and can afford Rancor to go with Fling, well then go balll lightning. But this is the better card for a cheaper mage.
People keep mentioning red's great mana acceleration to use with this.
What mana acceleration? I can think of rite of flame, pyretic ritual, and seething song, but those aren't really THAT good, compared to green's mana ramp or black...
So am I missing something? what other red cards give enough mana accel to make this work with a kicker before turn 9?
The kicker seems really goofy when you compare this card to its blue counterpart, Rite of Replication, which gets many times better when you cast it for nine mana. As for this card, unkicked, you can Fork and Reverberate it, which can't be said for good ol' Ball Lightning. @wiseguy20 Mana Flare Gauntlet of Might Sol ring Mana Crypt Okay, so the last two can go into any deck. But they still beat the hell out of Rampant Growth.
Superllama12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Sunyveil: Done it, it was absolutely beautiful...and yes, I did win that game, in case you're wondering
Comments (50)
"I block it with Boros Recruit."
Sheesh...
MANY cards are worse than Ball Lightning, that doesn't mean they are bad cards though. It just means they are only amazing instead of super-amazing.
Elemental Appeal should be in most TypeII {R} sligh decks.
Actually, the kicker is very interesting. Really, its a game finisher. At turn nine, if you haven't won yet with your burn deck, you're opponent should be at about half life-ish, with a few creatures on the board. If you kick this card, your opponent is forced to give up quite a few creatures to keep from dying, crippling his team. If you kick this, you're probably looking at a win next turn.
It's a good card, but what's really handy about it is the fact it's a sorcery and not a creature. Combos well with Pyromancer Ascension (though the most successful pyro decks at the moment seems to revolve around creature spot removal and card draw), and could be recast with Chandra Ablaze's major if you ever get up to it.
It's a slightly more expensive (and slightly more power) ball lightning with a potential kicker. If ball lightning is worth a 4-5 (and it should), then this is at least a 4.
But really, the kicker is just butter compared to a very strong sorcery that creates an instant threat. It is also worth mentioning that blue counters which are creature-centric wont work on this guy, so someone waiting for a Ball Lightning is going to get a nasty surprise when this hits the table.
4/5
So is it worse or better than ball lightning? Depends on the other cards you have. If you have two colors and can afford Rancor to go with Fling, well then go balll lightning. But this is the better card for a cheaper mage.
Turn 5: Koth's -2, Elemental Appeal with kicker, and Assault Strobe.
My dream combo.
sorry, but somebody had to say it
What mana acceleration? I can think of rite of flame, pyretic ritual, and seething song, but those aren't really THAT good, compared to green's mana ramp or black...
So am I missing something? what other red cards give enough mana accel to make this work with a kicker before turn 9?
As for this card, unkicked, you can Fork and Reverberate it, which can't be said for good ol' Ball Lightning.
@wiseguy20
Mana Flare
Gauntlet of Might
Sol ring
Mana Crypt
Okay, so the last two can go into any deck. But they still beat the hell out of Rampant Growth.