Well hope you have at least $10.00 in there because I don't see M10 Lightning Bolts being cheap.
Anyway's, that card itself isn't that bad to where you should destroy every one you own. It's okay if you if you make a deck you that just consist of cheap burn spells. Or pass them on to a new player who might not be that great at the game(Or rich). Also I doubt you would want to waste a Shock or a Lightning Bolt on a vanilla 1/1.
Ragamander
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(10 votes)
Awful card. Awesome flavor text.
garbagegatherer
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
No really. This card is both terrible and bad. For new players too. For cheap burn decks too. This is not Sparta, this is blasphemy.
Ace8792
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(9 votes)
If anyone has this card here is what you should do: Step 1 gather all of your copies and put them togheter, Step 2 pour gasoline on them, Step 3 light them on fire, Step 4 dig in your couch for money, Step 5 take that money and buy your self a real magic card like Lightning Bolt.
NeverendingDream
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Possibly the sweetest art of any burn spell. Too bad it's unplayable
Duskdale_Wurm
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Unplayable.
0.5/5
DespisedIcon
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Sh||ty.
Auteur
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
As bad as burn can get. I might actually play this as a singleton in a burn deck to leave my opponent scratching his or her head in disbelief, disorienting his or her gameplay enough to eke out a victory.
Folesauce
★★★★☆ (5.0/5.0)(43 votes)
I'm just glad they made it a sorcery, because at instant speed this thing would be broken.
Johnnies, this is one of your challenges, find a combo use for this that makes it bette than a similar sorcery 1 mana burn spell, that deals more damage.
Worst burn ever?
desolation_masticore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is not the spear Gyara Spearhurler is a hurling. Everyone knows there is a .5 rating right?
DacenOctavio
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I see the only application we have for this is for killing wimpy utility creatures. If you'd pay {2R} for Prodigal Pyromancer to do this kind of thing repeatedly and at instant speed and if you like a high concentration of burn, this has its use. Seriously, it may not be Bolt, it may not even be Shock, but it has a use.
Lord_of_Omnipotence
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Sometimes i feel like the R&D team just gets wasted when they come up with cards, cuz they have NO idea how to balance a game.
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(16 votes)
This isn't even a spell. It's lighting a pointed stick on fire and throwing it. Anybody casting this should feel ashamed that a damn goblin (Razorfin Hunter) is a better wizard than them.
What??? This spell is so underrated! You only need two of these to take down Storm Crow!
dberry02
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Wow, I don't even think Johnny could come up with an innovative way on using this terrible card... Put it on Panoptic Mirror for lulz?
Even with the awesome artwork (5/5), this card still rates a 0.5/5 for badness.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Damn, why did they have to bring back that crappy Lightning Bolt, instead of this old gem! I mean, it's not like Bolt is strictly better in every way, shape, and form...right?
Maybe this should cost 0, but I still don't think I'd play it.
catowner
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
And I thought shock sucked.
sonorhC
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
There are only about 19 cards that are strictly better than this card. Most of them are common, and at least some of them have always been playable in any given format. You could, quite literally, completely fill a deck with cards that are strictly better than this. You could almost fill two decks.
@John-Bender: If it's a waste to use Shock or Lighting Bolt on a creature, then it's a waste to use this on it, too. Either way, you're spending and a card. If something's not worth spending and a card on it to kill it, then you still don't want to cast this.
Joseph_Leito
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Actually, if this cost 0 I would play it. But not in a red deck. Or in a legacy deck. Maybe I'd put one in my EDH. Maybe.
Ok, no. This is definitely in the running for the worst card ever printed.
Exceedingly awful. There is no reason this card ever should have been printed.
Zoltantf
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(9 votes)
This is bad. Really bad. This is lightning bolt's dysfunctional distant step cousin. The one that the whole family tries to forget about.
JFM2796
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Remember people, these were the Portal sets. They were not made to have good cards in them, just to teach new players how to play. Lightning Bolt was still out at this time. I don't know about Shock, but even if it was they didn't want to encourage removal to be to good. Think about it: A new player plays their best creature and someone Bolts it for . That player is not really going to enjoy the game as much. These sets (Portal I, II, III, and Starter 1999) were designed to be fun for new players so that they would get into the game. Powerful removal doesn't make a new player want to play when they know their best card will be destroyed.
It's a shame cool art is wasted on a card this bad. :/
TheWrathofShane
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
yea its terrible, but if u play 2nd and they droped a 1 toughness creature on T1 that was a must kill... There would be no difference if this was in your hand or lightning bolt. Except of course that its a sorcery and you cant hold it to blast them on their turn.
how often does that situation come up tho?
0.5/5
ONLY reason someone would purchase this is if they A) Knew the artist B) OCD collector.
Ligerman30
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
At least it can kill Chimney Imp ... Oh wait, it can't. Well s***.
Love how wizards sometimes makes Planeswalkers abilities actual spells. Love how this is on Chandra the Firebrand. And it's surprising how much of the time this does the exact same thing as Lightning Bolt.
Tiggurix
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
I feel like this card should get the "Award for Most Outclassed Card in the Game". You know, at least a little something to make up for the fact that it is the most outclassed card in the game.
CorkBulb
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I simply cant give it 0.5 because it kills a Wellwisher!!!!!
Anything that kills a wellwisher has some respect from me.
Still sucks tho. Not even an instant.
1/5
DukeofDellot
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
I was just killed by this...
It... feels... terrible.
occamsrazorwit
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Strictly worst.
DarkmageRector
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This should have done two or three damage, or be able to target both a creature and a player at the same time. Could not have been an instant, as starter sets didn't use instants.
Totema
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And here's the bottom of the barrel for direct damage spells.
Zetan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My favorite part about this card is that it's a Sorcery.. that's just insulting. They couldn't just make something that was 1/3 the effectiveness of Lightning Bolt, they had to bump it down to Sorcery speed. Oh, Portal...
Maybe they just designed this so that when they printed Shock two year later, it wouldn't seem as bad. =P
HellkatOverlord
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I thought it was terrible when i saw that it did 1 damage. And then I saw that it was a sorcery. If I could rate it lower than 1/5, I would. Why in hell would someone play this over Shock?
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh god why.
Arachnos
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
In an evil sadist gave you a choice between playing this and Ember Shot, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU RATHER PLAY?
Knight-Master
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why are people selling this thing short? This is the best removal card ever. You can tell, because you can kill Storm Crow for two of these and two red mana. So broken.
azure_drake222222
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Would this be good if it cost {0}?
Red-White
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just one word to describe how good this card is : GARBAGE
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not having instants was a huge mistake for Portal. This is a terrible card, but it would at least be a 1.5/5 if it were an instant. As a sorcery, it's among the worst burn spells ever. Ember Shot and (Un)acceptable Losses come to mind as well.
If nothing else, this card shows you who knows how to play red burn decks...
"I cast scorching spear!" "Its MY TURN. I told you, you can't normally cast sorceries on other people's turns!"
Still would rather play this than 1 damage cards like Razor Boomerang.
001010011100101110
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Scorching... as in flames. Spear... like a javelin. There we go.
casual_melvin
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Hey, it could be worse.
Really.
It could only target creatures.
or worse, only players.
only combo uses for this I can think of are Urza's Hot Tub and Aesthetic consultation. It could also be useful in alternate formats that require 1 card from every set or alliterative card names or what have you.
ZaisConsultant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Strictly better than Swords to Plowshares ... You don't see it? Swords can give your opponent more health.
This starter set was a huge mess. It was one thing to print a burn spell this terrible in it, but then they ALSO printed Volcanic Hammer in the same set at the same rarity! What the heck?! Volcanic Hammer is SO much better than this card! Why would anyone ever use this card over that one? Being in a starter set does not justify Scorching Spear. Not at all.
Oh, and did I mention that they made the same exact mistake in Portal as well?
Comments (70)
Anyway's, that card itself isn't that bad to where you should destroy every one you own. It's okay if you if you make a deck you that just consist of cheap burn spells. Or pass them on to a new player who might not be that great at the game(Or rich). Also I doubt you would want to waste a Shock or a Lightning Bolt on a vanilla 1/1.
Too bad it's unplayable
0.5/5
Worst burn ever?
Even with the awesome artwork (5/5), this card still rates a 0.5/5 for badness.
0.5/5
@John-Bender: If it's a waste to use Shock or Lighting Bolt on a creature, then it's a waste to use this on it, too. Either way, you're spending
Ok, no. This is definitely in the running for the worst card ever printed.
....No, not even close.
These sets (Portal I, II, III, and Starter 1999) were designed to be fun for new players so that they would get into the game. Powerful removal doesn't make a new player want to play when they know their best card will be destroyed.
You could Tutor for your Scorching Spear.
I love the flavor text, though.
"toast your enemy"
If only this hadn't been, you know, strictly worse than everything...
It, with it's flavor, might have been my favorite burn spell...
Assault // battery, Death Spark, Burst Lightning, Flame Jab, Forked BoltGalvanic BlastGeistflame, Gut Shot, Lava Dart, Lightning Bolt, Meteor Shower, Searing Touch, Shock, Spark Spray and Tarfire.
I mean, did it have to be a sorcery on top of everything?!
It needed to be said.
how often does that situation come up tho?
0.5/5
ONLY reason someone would purchase this is if they
A) Knew the artist
B) OCD collector.
.0000123/5
Anything that kills a wellwisher has some respect from me.
Still sucks tho. Not even an instant.
1/5
It... feels... terrible.
Maybe they just designed this so that when they printed Shock two year later, it wouldn't seem as bad. =P
"I cast scorching spear!"
"Its MY TURN. I told you, you can't normally cast sorceries on other people's turns!"
Still would rather play this than 1 damage cards like Razor Boomerang.
Really.
It could only target creatures.
or worse, only players.
only combo uses for this I can think of are Urza's Hot Tub and Aesthetic consultation. It could also be useful in alternate formats that require 1 card from every set or alliterative card names or what have you.
... You don't see it?
Swords can give your opponent more health.
Yes
Oh wait, I lied. This thing is a fricking sorcery.
Oh, and did I mention that they made the same exact mistake in Portal as well?