How fitting that my first random card comment of the day lands me on a card originating in Alpha! What I love about this card is the way that they went about establishing colour hosers back in the day. While Blue Elemental Blast is far too powerful by today's standards, it was important to establish that the enemies colours in Magic weren't just theoretical or philosophical enemies. Blue absolutely hated red, and they were equipped to punish red mages with extreme severity. This was also printed alongside Red Elemental Blast, and while players and designers alike enjoy symmetry in card design, it allowed design to push the limits of the basic colour pie they had established. In fact, the symmetry between the elemental blasts was something so beautiful, it was 12 years ahead of its time. By deciding to have create both of these cards, they were able to take the countermagic from blue and the destruction from red, and form it into a single entity. Whether they realized what they were doing or not, the original designers created the first hybrid spell, Elemental Blast, and then broke it in half as hybrid mana didn't exist yet. They each may have an ability that seemed a little out of place, but when you're establishing the colour wheel for the first time it's not such a bad thing to say "Blue may not be in the business of destroying permanents, but for you we'll make an exception." Oh yeah, and it's a good thing that interrupts don't exist anymore, because destroy effects at interrupt speed? Not cool, man.
switchblade44
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(4 votes)
1/5: has no effect on the two most powerful creatures in the game: Storm Crow and alternate art Storm Crow.
Comments (6)
4/5
This was also printed alongside Red Elemental Blast, and while players and designers alike enjoy symmetry in card design, it allowed design to push the limits of the basic colour pie they had established.
In fact, the symmetry between the elemental blasts was something so beautiful, it was 12 years ahead of its time. By deciding to have create both of these cards, they were able to take the countermagic from blue and the destruction from red, and form it into a single entity. Whether they realized what they were doing or not, the original designers created the first hybrid spell, Elemental Blast, and then broke it in half as hybrid mana didn't exist yet. They each may have an ability that seemed a little out of place, but when you're establishing the colour wheel for the first time it's not such a bad thing to say "Blue may not be in the business of destroying permanents, but for you we'll make an exception."
Oh yeah, and it's a good thing that interrupts don't exist anymore, because destroy effects at interrupt speed? Not cool, man.