Expensive to level, but looks like it's worth it if you can get there.
Qazior
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Though it needs only 3 level counters
SorianSadaskan
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Good thing if you can keep him alive till he lives up to his potential. Although he's most likely to get fried before he gets there.
Thrull_Champion
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Tommy has finally grown up :)
DonRoyale
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Venerated Teacher makes virtually every overcosted-to-level leveller in this set ridiculous. For 5RU, you get Lightning Bolt on a stick.
Pretty difficult to make useful, though. Most people will just run Cunning Sparkmage anyway *shrug*
Diachronos
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
With a deathtouch Enchantment or Equipment, it's good even at levels 1-2. But it gets even more useful as a player-pinger if you get it to level 3 (especially if deathtouch is coming from Basilisk Collar).
KienanD
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
I take back any nasty comments I may have made when this was first spoiled. Sorry, Brimmy, you didn't deserve that. My bad, man.
Yes, this card is expensive to level, no question. One of the most expensive, as a matter of fact. Yes, it's not great at all in constructed. However, it's crazy good in limited. It's one of those cards that single-handedly forces your opponent to try to play around it if they can't remove it, especially if you can get him out early. You can be pinging x/1 creatures on turn four, without any ramp. I won a few of my games at the ROE launch party tonight on the back of this card. One time he simply wiped the board of my opponent's creatures. Great limited card, and much more powerful than I initially thought.
persecutor
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Lightning Bolt!
True_Mumin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Too expensive to level, AGAIN. How about making it cheaper and reducing his P/T? Another failure in a set chock full of them.
blindthrall
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
KILL THEM WITH FIRE! This guy has me contemplating buying the uncommon set.
Lunarblade
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
If you're able to level him up fully his final abilty reads "Tap for a Lightning Bolt." and 4 toughness is able to wistand quite a few burn spells.
Swordfishtrombones
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Personally, I'd enjoy this card. Venerated Teacher and Training Grounds make him a possible porta-bolt. can be a pretty big threat to anything on the field. him plus basilisk collar or even the hideously outdated gorgon flail and all. With this guy you want to go all the way, though. 2r+3r isnt worth a 1 point plinker, even with training grounds 2r+1r isnt good enough to just go once. throw down a Vteach after that and you've got yourself a bolter.
BlackAlbino
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I prefer kamahl but although this has expensive lvler I also see good potential
badmalloc
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
This guy + snake umbra.
Sironos
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Until he is level 3, he is expensive, but when he is level 3, he is lightning bolt for tap. Get some umbras on him or something.
dbake2483
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Limited, Limited, Limited! That is what this card is made for and that is what it is. It is just fine where it is.
Amnatto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this guy, because fire is awesome. Also because when I get him out, he either draws removal away from something I'm more attached to, or I get him out so late that I can level him to three the same turn he comes out. The second is a testimony to how slow my playing style is.
Zoah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's difficult for me to like this card simply because I hate the level up mechanic, a lot. I hate playing against it, and I feel dirty using it.
But moving on. At worst it's a prodigal pyromancer with Eco and a bit more meat on his bones. While at best, he's a lightning bolt on a stick that cant be removed by any typical burn spells.
In my opinion, a good card. As for limited or constructed? He could be used for either if properly abused. Venerated Teacher makes him quite nasty.
Blue decks, I get the impression, will quite hate this guy.
modestmagic
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is great with near death experience! Just level this guy up and hit yourself, then once your at 1 life-point left, if near death experience is in play, you automatically win!!!
Test-Subject_217601
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Of the three cards with Brimstone in their name, this is the best, though Brimstone Dragon is better in certain situations.
SolidSoldier
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm not quite sure, but art-wise, is the Echo Mage in a mirror stance to our Mr. Brimstone here?
Richard_Hawk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
not just limited, but in a burn deck with a bit of blue for training grounds or venerated teacher...this is unstoppable.
BaneSlayerKirby
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use with proliferate?
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hmm. I see the need for Training Grounds and Venerated Teacher, making this confined to RU decks. Not that they're a bad color combo, they were absolutely terrifying in the Ravnica block, but I'd still stick with my trusty Cunning Sparkmage simply because he has Haste. Same reason I ditched Prodigal Pyromancer, and this is simply one of those with the capacity to spew Lightning Bolts 12 mana later in mono red. With Grounds, 7 mana later, and with an added Teacher it will cost you one more (if you cast Teacher instead of activating the level up ability), but if you run copies of this card, it will save you mana overall.
Maybe with proliferate I can finally put this guy in a deck.
__Silence__
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use with gilder bairnor a proliferate deck to make him insane ...
poprockmonster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think Volt Charge would be fun to do with this guy.
Wynzerman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like this guy almost as much as Lightning Crafter xD It requires 1 less card advantage but 11 more culminative mana, but gets to be a Prodigal Pyromancer in the mean time.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is what I call a 'relatively innocent' use for Sol Ring :)
seriously, level up is hard to make work as fast as you want it to, if you are too Vorthos to just cave and use proliferate :p
Oblio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wow, this card is awful!
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This guy was one of my favorites in my leveler deck, RoE + Scars STD. Trust me, lightning bolt on a stick is scary.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Needs a bit to get rolling, but Lightning Bolt on legs might be worth the . ... Okay, perhaps not.
Comments (33)
Pretty difficult to make useful, though. Most people will just run Cunning Sparkmage anyway *shrug*
Yes, this card is expensive to level, no question. One of the most expensive, as a matter of fact. Yes, it's not great at all in constructed. However, it's crazy good in limited. It's one of those cards that single-handedly forces your opponent to try to play around it if they can't remove it, especially if you can get him out early. You can be pinging x/1 creatures on turn four, without any ramp. I won a few of my games at the ROE launch party tonight on the back of this card. One time he simply wiped the board of my opponent's creatures. Great limited card, and much more powerful than I initially thought.
But moving on. At worst it's a prodigal pyromancer with Eco and a bit more meat on his bones. While at best, he's a lightning bolt on a stick that cant be removed by any typical burn spells.
In my opinion, a good card. As for limited or constructed? He could be used for either if properly abused. Venerated Teacher makes him quite nasty.
Blue decks, I get the impression, will quite hate this guy.
Edit: Wit the advent of Scars, I see a huge need for Proliferate. Contagion Engine or Inexorable Tide please!
seriously, level up is hard to make work as fast as you want it to, if you are too Vorthos to just cave and use proliferate :p
...
Okay, perhaps not.