the le reddit r/mtg army and its leejun loves this card! 5 stars if you agree!
Dream_Twist
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(8 votes)
YAY ITS LIGHTNING HELIX THE GUY!!
djflo
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This is a cool card for casual, but probably too expensive for any constructed format. Once it gets going, it seems easy to keep your opponent's side pretty empty.
RiftenBlack
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
I think the effect on this card is really sweet, but a lot of the time you're just overpaying for a 3/3 flyer that doesn't do anything else. Such is the problem with all of the Battalion cards except for the Frontline Medic. Sigh. It only gets 3 / 5 from me.
CORRBentOrgy
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
She's pretty competitive I think; Huntmaster of the Fells is a pretty decent power comparison:
They're both four-drops, Huntmaster gives a token while Avenger has flying, Huntmaster can become a 4/4 while Avenger is a 3/3 that can effectively be a 6/3 with Battalion, they both give you life, etc.
When you consider Huntmaster is a mythic and Avenger is a rare, she looks very solid.
SRSFACE
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
She's going to have the same issues as Odric, Master Tactician. Just too difficult to get out enough creatures to actually trigger her ability, plus she can't attack the turn she comes out.
Towers76
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
I don't care if it's harder to trigger. It's still a freaking Lightning Helix.
Flyheight
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
BA. NA. NAS. Repeating lightning helix on a 3/3 flier. Definitely going to be the star of my Set Boros Guild Deck.
Cyberium
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Razia's Purification is nuke, this is orbital? Boros are serious about their business.
Purplerooster
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Give this haste and then take out your opponents Firemane Avenger they played last turn.
Gcrudaplaneswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm sure this will be an absolute monster in Limited.
rollinsclone
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wait wait wait. I get an on-curve flyer in my favorite colors that gives me a free Lightning Helix when I attack with all my dudes? I'm so ridiculously happy that there are no words....
Dabok
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I bet people are gonna buy the Boros intro pack for this sweet babe
wadprime
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I know it's too much to ask, but I really wish this thing had haste.
Smoke_Stack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Odric's new best friend. I know you need a third attacker but honestly, if you're swinging with both of them it doesn't matter what else joins in.
Vividice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This would have been the perfect promo card for Boros. To bad they just print jank as promos these days.
Curlie-Joe
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
awesome
Augthail
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Someone get this girl some Haste. 3 toughness is very weak to removal and dies to Restoration Angel. On her own she's okay, but seems like more of a synergy card. I don't know what would be a good synergizer off the top of my head. Silverblade Paladin almost comes to mind but we still need speed. Lightning Mauler has speed but we still don't have enough power to kill Restoration Angel. I feel like this card is going to end up being a lot less prevalent in the top tables than some may think.
Cyanide17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I want this to be good, but like a lot of others have said, battalion doesn't seem like a great mechanic, and without battalion triggering she offers precious little. Haste would have made her amazing, but I'd rather pair lightning mauler with frontline medic, silverblade paladin or Boros Reckoner the turn beforehand than wait for this. Still bought two though.
pedrodyl
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is a good card, and I like battalion, I just think it's way too slow for Boros. Boros is supposed to be all about promptness, and battallion doesn't do that, since you have to wait for all of your other tardy soldiers to show up. In this case it's at least possible for the battallion to be ready for the next turn, as opposed to Boros Elite, barring some Burning-Tree Emissary's and Legion Loyalists
endgame13
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I think she'll be interesting, but she'll have to compete with other prominent 4 drops. Resto angel stares her down without much concern they can still trade if you focus the helix eff on her, but that seems a little much. Huntmaster gives you a second creature and 2 life and he can deal 2 to your face and 2 to a monster with setup. I Think She'll need a fair amount of team support, curving into her with frontline medic is a decent idea. I REALLY wish she had haste, but I think that would push it over the edge into broken. Battalion is a little tricky, but I think the effect is powerful enough to go for it.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
vs. Lightning Helix: + Repeatable - Harder to trigger - Not castable at instant speed +Is a 3/3 flier
Verdict: Both are good, why choose?
MinikuiHobo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you can give her haste and have two other attacking creatures she's like another Hellrider!
Madrai
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Everyone crying out about her not having haste... welcome to the Army. It's always "Hurry up and wait!", but once everyone is ready, it's shock and awe time. Running four of these, four medics, four strikers, four paladins, four corps, four elite, four loyalist for my boros deck.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@RiftenBlack: I'm sorry, I didn't realize 4 mana was so expensive for a 3/3 flier. I suppose she is just completely useless without that Battalion trigger that Boros decks will be built around.
Alternatively, here we have a 3/3 flier for 4 (fair price) with a free Lightning Helix every time you attack (because Boros has NO reason to attack with just one dude.)
TheImmortalSpike
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
To all you crying about her not having haste; Play her with Anger in your graveyard. Issue solved.
CapmCrunch
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Arguably better than Hellrider, she trades evasion for haste and a slightly harder trigger for lifegain and the ability to kill a blocker or threat. I've had the pleasure of wasting my opponents with this card on several occasions and it has never seemed fair. One of the best rares in the set.
Shard_Fenix
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is quite possibly the cheapest 6 mana creature I've ever seen.
I wish RnD knew what game balance is so I wouldn't have to pack 100% of my decks with kill spells because creatures can't beat other creatures anymore.
Enemy_Tricolor
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
When did Gatherer ratings become "2/10 would not hit" parties? What in the galloping god damn is this doing with a sub-4 rating?
It's a CMC 4 3/3 flyer that repeatedly shoots Lightning Helixes at people. Does it need to go grab your lands for you at drafts and fetch you Red Bulls in order to merit the fourth star? Jesus Christ.
majinara
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Pretty good, as long as you can reliably trigger her ability. If you face a control deck, you might end up with nothing but a 3/3 flyer.
Wormfang
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@riftenblack, legion loyalist is overcosted? he can't get any cheaper needs to be puilt around but can see her being a solid finisher in rw weenie or as a 4 drop before the 5 drop assemble the legion to give her chumps to ensure triggers.
vantha
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I agree with DoragonShinzui some people aren't seeing the big picture. She is a 3/3 flyer for 4 mana, she is playable for that reason alone. Look at Assault Griffin that card is a 3/2 flyer for 4 mana. The next part of her ability is Lightning Helix when you have Battalion. Boros has the best mana curve out of the Gatecrash tribes, you can easily get Battalion the turn you play her or the next turn. Triggering Battalion should be easy if you know how to draft weenies. Add to the fact that she Lightning Bolts any potential blocker out of the way, that is insane. This has become a race, you are gaining 3 life a turn and they are losing 6+X life per turn. X is any number greater than 2 assuming the other attacking creatures are 1/1 weenies. In the worst case scenario you are dealing 8 damage per turn.
I find it funny that people are whining about her not having Haste, if she were to have haste then she would be a mythic. Lastly, if you read the article from the pro tour, you would also realize giving her Lifelink is crazy. When she attacks with Battalion her lightning Helix gains 3 life, also triggering Lifelink to gain another 3 life, and if she connects in combat damage you gain 3 more life. She is a 9 point life swing. Not bad for a 4 cc creature with evasion. 5/5 rating for being so good.
Taudisban
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So, Battalion sucks. It's hard to activate. But, let's take a look at it: We've got two battalion one drops, four two drops, two three drops, two four drops, and one five drop. Makes sense, right? That looks like an awesome Limited curve, which WotC definitely had in mind with battalion. That is the thing, though.
It's a curve.
Yeah, your Boros Elite isn't going to be swinging for 3 on very many turn twos or even turn threes. But Firemane can come down well after you've built your board. It will hit for battalion. As for the three toughness, well, have you ever heard of burn? This IS your second spear.
Gadtzgan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
High five Boros.
El_Richardo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
+1 Scourge of the Nobilis for a 5/5 that gets you at LEAST 11 Life just for -attacking-. +4 Scourges to automatically win for attacking because everyone else ragequit.
SAUS3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@El_Richardo Actually, with 1 scourge of the nobilis, it will only gain you 5 life unless you have battalion.
This card is hilarious. There are people saying it is ridiculously overpowered, and people saying it is extremely terrible.
I'd say it's a fair rare. Not broken, not bad. Battalion is really hard to trigger reliably, and a 3/3 flying for 4 mana is not very impressive. However, if you have battalion, it becomes amazing. It will shoot blockers, dish out a vicious 6 damage on each swing if they have no blockers, and the lifegain helps in races.
I really like it, but I am having troubles using it in my Tajic deck. It's right on Tajic's mana cost, so it's almost never actually a turn 4 drop, but rather a turn 5 drop or later. I also don't trigger battalion too often. I think the card is good, but it's just not the right deck for it.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's a sad day indeed when a creature this good sees literally zero standard play. Freaking Rubblebelt Maaka is seeing more play than this!
Danchou
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This Card along with the battalion mechanic is weak on so many levels.
1. If you cannot activate battalion, it is just a 3/3 flyer for 4 CMC. 2. If you could activate it has summoning sickness, so the enemy has a whole turn to deal with it. 3. Even if you get to attack with it and Battalion, a Tajic, Blade of the Legion or Aurelia's Fury would be so much better in the Situation.
I think the trigger should not be chained to battalion, or Firemane Avenger should have haste. This way it just has no impact when it resolves and dies way to easy turn 4+.
Smithereen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Considering how sparse the 4-drop slot is now that Innistrad's gone, I'm gonna give this a try again. T1 Mystic, T2 Smiter, T3 this, T4 Archangel of Thune, Helix -> swing for 11 seems pretty sick.
Vastator
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Overall an excellent card that takes full advantage of the battalion mechanic. If one hybridizes Gatecrash and Boros in a White-Red Deck it would be excellent, especially given it is a 4 drop with flying.
Adding Moonsilver spear would certainly make this card extremely annoying.
HoHIndie
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The real problem with this card is that it has no place in the current Standard environment. Like many have pointed out, without Battalion, it is only a 3/3 with flying. While that is a respectable creature, it's nothing to get excited about. The current environment is dominated by either fast aggro decks that will kill you before this can attack more than once, or removal-heavy control decks like Mono-Black Devotion or Esper control, which will ensure that you never get Battalion. So, even though Firemane Avenger is a fine creature in a vacuum, it is actually quite weak in the metagame. It competes with cards like Fanatic of Mogis and Polukranos, World Eater in decks that can cast it, and the others are stronger on their own (i.e. provide greater reward) than this guy.
Comments (47)
I will avenge your death Firemane Angel!
Good card. Lightning Helix on a stick.
They're both four-drops, Huntmaster gives a token while Avenger has flying, Huntmaster can become a 4/4 while Avenger is a 3/3 that can effectively be a 6/3 with Battalion, they both give you life, etc.
When you consider Huntmaster is a mythic and Avenger is a rare, she looks very solid.
+ Repeatable
- Harder to trigger
- Not castable at instant speed
+Is a 3/3 flier
Verdict: Both are good, why choose?
Alternatively, here we have a 3/3 flier for 4 (fair price) with a free Lightning Helix every time you attack (because Boros has NO reason to attack with just one dude.)
I wish RnD knew what game balance is so I wouldn't have to pack 100% of my decks with kill spells because creatures can't beat other creatures anymore.
It's a CMC 4 3/3 flyer that repeatedly shoots Lightning Helixes at people. Does it need to go grab your lands for you at drafts and fetch you Red Bulls in order to merit the fourth star? Jesus Christ.
needs to be puilt around but can see her being a solid finisher in rw weenie or as a 4 drop before the 5 drop assemble the legion to give her chumps to ensure triggers.
I find it funny that people are whining about her not having Haste, if she were to have haste then she would be a mythic. Lastly, if you read the article from the pro tour, you would also realize giving her Lifelink is crazy. When she attacks with Battalion her lightning Helix gains 3 life, also triggering Lifelink to gain another 3 life, and if she connects in combat damage you gain 3 more life. She is a 9 point life swing. Not bad for a 4 cc creature with evasion. 5/5 rating for being so good.
It's a curve.
Yeah, your Boros Elite isn't going to be swinging for 3 on very many turn twos or even turn threes. But Firemane can come down well after you've built your board. It will hit for battalion. As for the three toughness, well, have you ever heard of burn? This IS your second spear.
+4 Scourges to automatically win for attacking because everyone else ragequit.
Actually, with 1 scourge of the nobilis, it will only gain you 5 life unless you have battalion.
4 scourge of the nobilis to automatically lose to any bounce/kill spell.
This card is hilarious. There are people saying it is ridiculously overpowered, and people saying it is extremely terrible.
I'd say it's a fair rare. Not broken, not bad. Battalion is really hard to trigger reliably, and a 3/3 flying for 4 mana is not very impressive. However, if you have battalion, it becomes amazing. It will shoot blockers, dish out a vicious 6 damage on each swing if they have no blockers, and the lifegain helps in races.
I really like it, but I am having troubles using it in my Tajic deck. It's right on Tajic's mana cost, so it's almost never actually a turn 4 drop, but rather a turn 5 drop or later. I also don't trigger battalion too often. I think the card is good, but it's just not the right deck for it.
1. If you cannot activate battalion, it is just a 3/3 flyer for 4 CMC.
2. If you could activate it has summoning sickness, so the enemy has a whole turn to deal with it.
3. Even if you get to attack with it and Battalion, a Tajic, Blade of the Legion or Aurelia's Fury would be so much better in the Situation.
I think the trigger should not be chained to battalion, or Firemane Avenger should have haste.
This way it just has no impact when it resolves and dies way to easy turn 4+.
Adding Moonsilver spear would certainly make this card extremely annoying.