Only bad part about this in standard again you see it in every deck with a splash of red.
OutlawD1
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(12 votes)
Mandatory cards are not exactly good for the game.
Magyrato
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(17 votes)
I rated the M10 version 5/5. This gets only 4.5/5 for dropping the cool flavour text.
Brixton
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Bam!!
IshubarashI
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
What happened to the flavor text? That was like the icing on this cake :| it only gets a 4/5 from me now, I loved the m10 flavor text. I could just picture someone standing on big hill/mountain thing, getting mad and then just starting to shriek at the sky and suddenly a giant lightning bolt explodes from the cloud and impales some random Kulrath Knight that happens to be flying around...
M11 lightning bolt is lame :\
Shiny_Umbreon
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I wouldn't say this is a mandatory card. There are really good alternatives like Forked Bolt, Flame Slash, Searing Blaze. And, well, some people like Burst Lightning. That's all Standard but I doubt you'll find something that isn't strictly worse anywhere else.
tenkaze
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(14 votes)
I think the lack of flavor text makes it just that much more classic. The point of the m10 text was to kinda say "Hey look, we're bringing back that card from your youth!" which is not really necessary this time around since the card hasn't gone anywhere since its last printing. While I liked the text then, I would have raised an eyebrow if it made it to the M11 printing. And there's no denying that the lack of flavor text gives it that iconic feel.
OMFGrhombus
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I think people who miss the M10 flavour text need to read it again and pick up on the subtle nuances of self-referential humour.
Temple_Garden
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(4 votes)
This card might be good but it makes every creature with a toughness of 3 or less much worse. This guy is bad for the game. If you see a mountain drop, you will likely see this at some point in the game.
Staple red spell imo. Very efficient.
Flame Slash takes down a whole slew of things this won't deal with, but is balanced with its Sorcery speed.
5/5 for being as red as it gets really.
First time around it was annoying, since to stop it you had to pay 3 friggin mana for cancel, but now we have mana leak, that's all good. Keeping these two cards around is good for the game, as it allows them to push the creature powercreep without the game as a whole getting quicker or worse in any way.
xRockFan
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
If you ask me, this card should not exist. It should either be 2 cmc or have some kind of other effect. This card kills 3- and 4-drops before they can lift a finger. Who can really control lightning, anyway?
Notoriety
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Storm Crow is both Water and Flying type, so this is 4x effective and kills it immediately.
In all seriousness: This card is powerful, but that doesn't mean I like it. I don't find burn fun.
GoblinNaysayer93
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Giving this card only four stars because it lacks a certain flavor text is like giving Black Lotus only four stars because you don't like flowers. Cards should be rated based on playability, and this is top-notch. That being said, once the powercreep extends to the point where it is doubtful that lightning bolt is the strongest burn ever printed, I'll probably quit Magic. Cards don't need to get more powerful than this without being restricted.
Yozuk
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
so this isn't broken, but boomerangis? I'm confused as to how they rate what cards are broken and what cards are just good...
Mnemonic_Jabberssac
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0)(4 votes)
way overpowered. If I play anything, no matter what, it gets zapped by one or more of these. Its like doom blade only more so.
SwordSkill
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Even for a common, you rarely get to crack one... I opened a whole box and I only got 3 of them, considering that except of the few other good commons, I got all crappy ones at least 5 times each...
Even for trading they will ask you and arm and a leg to trade you!
It would be more logical if this had be at least uncommon or something...
dragonking987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like Searing Blaze a little bit better.
Himura06
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
WHERE IS THE BAN HAMMER.
SleetFox
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I find it hard to believe this could get anything less than a 5. I have never been disappointed to draw a Lightning Bolt.
Yoto32
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@xRockFan: And Terminate, doom blade, and terror can all kill 8- drops for just 2 mana each and nobody complains about them. In my extensive play of m10 and m11, I have not found this card to be particularly overpowerful. Shock, however, was extremely underwhelming. 3 damage for 1 red is the perfect ratio.
LordAlvon
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Who in their right mind rated this below 5/5? This card is INSANE!
gwydion9
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
A cheap and super-versatile spell. Weenie creature removal or player damage...you choose!
why did they drop the flavour text? that was what made it awesome rather than good... :(
other than that, its great burn, though i do think it's a little cheap, i mean 3 damage on the first turn? it seems a little excessive to me, but wizards doesn't really care about that do they...
Selez
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(9 votes)
On constructed: Play it if you're playing red.
On limited: Play it if you're playing red. Sometimes, play it even it you aren't.
I just read something from an article on the 10th ed Incinerate, when it was, and I quote, "a burn spell so powerful that many had assumed we'd never bring it back." I suppose it would seem overpowered when you've been playing with Volcanic Hammer for years (I hate that card), but even so, this statement is incredibly outdated.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The foil one I pulled looks phenomenal.
Zenzei
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Lightning bolt should be made a core set evergreen card. It's not unbalancing the modern day MtG in any way, on the contrary it helps keep the creatures, which are getting stronger and stronger, honest.
It's like they stapled 3 hornet stings together and made it only one red mana
Kitty_the_Kat
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I heard that this might not return in the next core set. =/ That it'll be replaced by 2 cost 3 damage cards. I personally home they bring back Incinerate if they take out Lightning Bolt. =/
star400040
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
They Better Reprint this in M12!
divine_exodus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
And it's STILL a common.
pzfreez7
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
it's always commons like these i never pull from boosters, and instead all those c**py Armored Cancrix and s**t
martin234
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Lighting bolt, lighting bolt, lighting bolt...
PrimeSonic
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Dear WotC: Please stop reprinting this and give us Shock back.
Yous Truly, Every 3/3 ever printed.
yesnomu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How good is this card? So good that R&D has a hard time making other legitimate one-mana red removal with it around.
The quintessential burn spell. Accept no substitutes.
desolation_masticore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Incinerate? we have Searing blaze!
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Powercreep! LOL
Seriously, I'm glad to see this is back. They should keep all the staples around and stop printing "strictly better" versions, lightning bolt is one of the few left that stands the test of time and gets reprints. Terror is going the way of the dodo, Giant Growth is way way outclassed by might of the masses 90% of the time. Nostalgia, even at my mere year or so in magic, weighs heavy at all the stuff that becomes so obsolete.
scumbling1
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
"If they don't reprint this in M12, I'll only have four words to say: WHAT THE F*CKING HELL??!!"
Get ready to say it. Wizards has stated several times that Lightning Bolt isn't going to remain in Standard forever.
Frozenwings
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
on standard, every red mana is glued with this, i really wonder how m12 will be :)
Zaneshift
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(16 votes)
Player 1: And I end my turn. Player 2: Oh yeah? Well first off I'll-- Player 1: In response, Lightning Bolt. Player 2: What? You don't even know what I was going to-- Player 1: Doesn't matter, the answer's always Lightning Bolt.
NOOOOOOOOOO ITS LEAVING US!!!!!!!!! seriously wizards wtf?! at least reprint incinerate again, i dont want to go back to the old shock days...
EDIT: WHEW! good at least they confirmed incinerate, AND goblin grenade!!! i still have mixed feelings about this trade off (not every red player runs goblins) but if they kept both red would have been nucking futs. and incinerate IS still quite good.
Farewell, old buddy. You dominated standard for nigh on 2 years, and both of my standard decks ran 4 of you. Grim Lavamancers and Galvanic Blasts and Mono-Black Control may try to make you feel bad, but you were the greatest and always will be. Goodbye. STILL WITH US FOR 3 MONTHS THOUGH!
DacenOctavio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
M10. . . check. M11. . . check :) M12. . . What's that Wizards? You printed SHOCK, Shock, of all cards, in the same format as Galvanic Blast and skipped town on the bolt?
I guess Lightning Bolt only strikes twice :/
Prizrak
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Goodbye Lightning Bolt. But I'm practicing doing without you! Today in cube draft I discovered I only needed Panoptic Mirror + Zombify + Hell Spark Elemental + Invasion Plans to duplicate your effect.
Dr_Fletchers
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Please Don't leave us we will be stuck with you little brother shock!!!
DarthParallax
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
I just wanna know one thing: How good is this in Commander? See, I bought Kaalia's deck. I'm kind of going for a Kongregate theme (White Soldiers, Red Orcs, Black Zombies, White Angels, Red Dragons, Black Demons, Inferno Titan, Sun Titan, Grave Titan) so I can go Epic War all over the battlefield. Warsturm Surge, Wrath of God, etc.
Any way, I really, really, really want to use Lightning Bolt. In every other format, if your deck generates Red Mana, Lightning Bolt is auto-include. But...I'm a little skeptical about it in Commander. If I have the Premium Deck Series one, is it a valid argument to just include it for the sake of awesome, regardless of whether it is good enough or not?
It's probably a question best answered by answering: "Is {R} for 'remove 3 loyalty counters from target Planeswalker' worth it?" Planeswalkers might justify some special attention.
Last question: How many of you think the best place for your Premium Deck Series Bolts playset is probably in your Duel Deck: Nicol Bolas, next to your Duel Decks Urza's Rage, your Duel Decks Fact or Fiction, you Duel Decks Counterspell, your Duel Decks Demonic Tutor, your Duel Decks Snuff Out, and your Duel Decks Dark Ritual? Because I just kind of think dumping all the Duel Decks together sounds somehow amazing :D
BalmyWafflefoot
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Good bye my friend I will miss you in standard, now quick as lightning is slow as incinerate not quite as shocking.
Trygon_Predator
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Farewell, Lightning Bolt, until we meet again. I'm sure you won't be gone long. @ DarthParallax: 3 damage is usually underwhelming in Commander, most burn spells there are of the sort where you can pump all your mana for an alpha strike. Still, sometimes I wish I had good ol' Bolt in hand...
TheWallinator74
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Long live the king of burn spells.
Dabok
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Okay, what I'm about to say may not be popular to many of you guys out there but I just wanted to say that I dislike this card. It's because I have started playing magic when Shock was the staple burn card. And when I say staple I mean it. It's a classic card that everyone knows and were actually happy to have in their decks. Everyone was satisfied with it. - I do understand that with the powercreeping, it became necessary to print this again, to adjust the level of removal and creatures. Now that creautres are becoming "normal" again (not too cost efficient), I think it's a good thing that they gave us shock back. - I can understand people who have started playing with Lightning Bolt being disappointed, but what I'm trying to say is. It's been a GIFT to the players that they've reprinted this card. Shock and its 2 damage variants are fine. Lightning Bolt should NOT be the measuring stick to which we must compare 1 mana burn spells. Shock is.
CogMonocle
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
*grumbles* and we're getting shock in m14. Better be incinerate too, or at least a spear reprint.
sincleanser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love that they hated on the bolt for a long time because it is just so strong and then decide "Ah what the heck, we'll let red have some fun again" just to turn right back around on it after they realized the mistake they made with this and Flame Slash.
observant1
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The Tarmogoyf of burn spells, aka simply the best.
Comments (67)
M11 lightning bolt is lame :\
Flame Slash takes down a whole slew of things this won't deal with, but is balanced with its Sorcery speed.
5/5 for being as red as it gets really.
In all seriousness: This card is powerful, but that doesn't mean I like it. I don't find burn fun.
Even for trading they will ask you and arm and a leg to trade you!
It would be more logical if this had be at least uncommon or something...
This card is INSANE!
other than that, its great burn, though i do think it's a little cheap, i mean 3 damage on the first turn? it seems a little excessive to me, but wizards doesn't really care about that do they...
On limited: Play it if you're playing red. Sometimes, play it even it you aren't.
I just read something from an article on the 10th ed Incinerate, when it was, and I quote, "a burn spell so powerful that many had assumed we'd never bring it back." I suppose it would seem overpowered when you've been playing with Volcanic Hammer for years (I hate that card), but even so, this statement is incredibly outdated.
Healing Salve
Giant Growth
Lightning Bolt
Dark Ritual
Ancestral Recall
Please stop reprinting this and give us Shock back.
Yous Truly,
Every 3/3 ever printed.
The quintessential burn spell. Accept no substitutes.
Seriously, I'm glad to see this is back. They should keep all the staples around and stop printing "strictly better" versions, lightning bolt is one of the few left that stands the test of time and gets reprints. Terror is going the way of the dodo, Giant Growth is way way outclassed by might of the masses 90% of the time. Nostalgia, even at my mere year or so in magic, weighs heavy at all the stuff that becomes so obsolete.
Get ready to say it. Wizards has stated several times that Lightning Bolt isn't going to remain in Standard forever.
Player 2: Oh yeah? Well first off I'll--
Player 1: In response, Lightning Bolt.
Player 2: What? You don't even know what I was going to--
Player 1: Doesn't matter, the answer's always Lightning Bolt.
Combos with Lightning Bolt, Reverberate, Unstable Footing, Mountain, Quest for Pure Flame, Pyromancer Ascension, Chandra's Spitfire, Kiln Fiend, Fire Servant, Surreal Memoir... that's just Standard Monored combos and there's still too many to name.
Lightning Bolt is to red what Counterspell is to blue.
EDIT: WHEW! good at least they confirmed incinerate, AND goblin grenade!!! i still have mixed feelings about this trade off (not every red player runs goblins) but if they kept both red would have been nucking futs. and incinerate IS still quite good.
bottom line we can still avoid shock like the plague thanks to galvanic blast, burst lightning etc.
M11. . . check :)
M12. . . What's that Wizards? You printed SHOCK, Shock, of all cards, in the same format as Galvanic Blast and skipped town on the bolt?
I guess Lightning Bolt only strikes twice :/
Any way, I really, really, really want to use Lightning Bolt. In every other format, if your deck generates Red Mana, Lightning Bolt is auto-include. But...I'm a little skeptical about it in Commander. If I have the Premium Deck Series one, is it a valid argument to just include it for the sake of awesome, regardless of whether it is good enough or not?
It's probably a question best answered by answering: "Is {R} for 'remove 3 loyalty counters from target Planeswalker' worth it?" Planeswalkers might justify some special attention.
Last question: How many of you think the best place for your Premium Deck Series Bolts playset is probably in your Duel Deck: Nicol Bolas, next to your Duel Decks Urza's Rage, your Duel Decks Fact or Fiction, you Duel Decks Counterspell, your Duel Decks Demonic Tutor, your Duel Decks Snuff Out, and your Duel Decks Dark Ritual? Because I just kind of think dumping all the Duel Decks together sounds somehow amazing :D
@ DarthParallax: 3 damage is usually underwhelming in Commander, most burn spells there are of the
It's because I have started playing magic when Shock was the staple burn card. And when I say staple I mean it. It's a classic card that everyone knows and were actually happy to have in their decks. Everyone was satisfied with it.
-
I do understand that with the powercreeping, it became necessary to print this again, to adjust the level of removal and creatures.
Now that creautres are becoming "normal" again (not too cost efficient), I think it's a good thing that they gave us shock back.
-
I can understand people who have started playing with Lightning Bolt being disappointed, but what I'm trying to say is. It's been a GIFT to the players that they've reprinted this card. Shock and its 2 damage variants are fine. Lightning Bolt should NOT be the measuring stick to which we must compare 1 mana burn spells. Shock is.