Pointed Discussion

Magic: The Gathering Card Comments Archive

Zap

Multiverse ID: 23075

Zap

Comments (26)

Tacotaco
★☆☆☆☆ (1.6/5.0) (8 votes)
wow. this sucks so bad im not even gonna go there.
Significant-Backlash
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0) (7 votes)
Space ship?
Zulp
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0) (10 votes)
This card... is too expensive. I might buy it for 1R. Just R at the most optimal. But 2R? Yeah, screw that.
Rainyday2012
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0) (7 votes)
Cantrips need to be really expensive to be totally worthless. This is bad, but can work in Limited.
Mode
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0) (7 votes)
A cantrip version of which burn spell is this, Wizards?
Lighning Bolt? Not quite. Shock? Not either. What went wrong here?
achilleselbow
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0) (4 votes)
It's basically a reprint of Flare. In the old days there were a lot of cantrips whose effect was to do 1 of something, like Bandage. Would've been okay for 1 mana, like Needle Drop but without the restriction.
Dohyden
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0) (5 votes)
it's worth it's mana cost, pure red spells have a real problem with card draw, it's not their thing, so a reduction in damage done for one red is logical. however i have found that the standard amount of colourless mana to draw a card is 2 colourless. so if u add the worth of a 2 colourles card draw, plus the fact it's pure red (and thus the Damage penalty is added, taking it down from a shock) then it is worth it's mana. plus i feel a Zap Deck may have more success than a standard burn deck, because every Zap u play will replace itself with another card
Zher0
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0) (3 votes)
Dzzt!
dberry02
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is fun. Simple as that. I want to zap someone so bad with a few pyromancer's swath out and maybe a few Furnace of Rath lol
NARFNra
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0) (1 vote)
If you read, they actually were originally gonna make this for {R}, but development knocked up the price because red was "Getting too strong".

Personally it wouldn't really be all that good even at {R}.
desolation_masticore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the card that single handedly ruined Squee's reputation. He doesn't need to be a good shot Sisay, he loves Grenades!
DacenOctavio
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0) (5 votes)
Strictly worse than Jund Sojourners. If you're envying any card from the Alara block with a cycling cost, I'm so sorry.
luxma
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Needle Drop /autocard, when Zap becomes Crap
mattblack04
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0) (2 votes)
At least it isn't Ember Shot
reapersaurus
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0) (4 votes)
As with Bandage and Carom, the rating for this shows that Magic players completely misunderstand cantrips.
Compare this to Divination or Counsel of the Soratami (or even Sign in Blood or even Think Twice - tournament cards).
3cc is pretty typical for 2 draws. At Sorcery speed. This is a 3cc instant that draws 1, and kills a creature. (You would only play this when sideboarding against decks with 1 toughness creatures - TONS of utility creatures have only 1).
An instant that regularly 1-for-zeroes the opponent should not be rated a 1.1
Ragamander
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (3 votes)
How is this rated lower than Flare? I mean, how many games can a single person draw by simultaneously decking him/herself with Zap and dealing the last point of damage to his/her opponent?
dlgn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (1 vote)
ZAP.
TheWrathofShane
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0) (3 votes)
Drawing a card means this card replaces itself, and nukes a utility creature in the process. This would be a good sideboard option to deal with pests without loosing a card.

With that being said, I think it should be 2 damage. That would double the effectiveness, and give some motivation of hitting the player (1 damage is nearly useless for burning the player). I think it would be well costed with 2 damage.

Red for 1 dmg and draw at instant would be insane. No reason not to run 4. 1Red would be fair, and 2Red should get you 2dmg at least. That would take care allot of the tribal lords.
ThatStunna
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Drawing cards is really useful for red, due to dumping lots of spells, and there are lots of utility creatures with 1 toughness. If you don't see the merit in killing a priest of titania or a royal assassin, then I guess we're on opposite sides. 3/5.
Pick15
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It doesn't matter what this card does.
IT HAS LASERS ON IT!
Kontrah
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
It's no Electrolyze, that's for sure.
sweetgab
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
Hmm. I wonder if this would have been overpowered at 2 damage. Compare Electrolyze.
N03y3D33R
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Might look like trash now, but in a limited environment this kind of stuff was something you would be glad to see. Invasion was plagued by underwhelming creatures with huge kickers that didn't justify the cost. Finding spells, even underwhelming ones like this were usually better alternative to the common creatures.

I recall opening boosters for this set and being appalled by a six mana 2/3 with reach and actually choosing a six mana 6/6 Sea Serpent with islandhome instead. I would have been happy with a slightly overpriced instant speed red draw spell for three mana compared to some of the other cards I got.
Wolftitan3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
who is this Squee, and why is he mentioned so often