Lightning Bolt

Instant

Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature, player or planeswalker.

Discussion (51)

Balaam__ on I don't know what I am doing

1 day ago

I’m a returning mtg player who played from the first set of cards until about 1998, then came back after 20yrs. I’m by no means an expert but I can lend some helpful tips if you’d like.

1) have an idea in mind of what you’d like the deck to accomplish. Do you want to win by creatures dealing damage? By casting spells like Lightning Bolt to chip away at your opponent’s health? There are many ways to win a game, it’s a good idea to have a game plan.

2) it’s advisable to pick a handful of different cards that suit your deck and then include 4 copies of each, rather than having 1 copy of a lot of different useable cards. This way it will play much more consistently and predictably, which is a good thing.

Since you seem to have a good idea on what kind of deck you’re trying to build, I think the second tip is most beneficial for you to consider. I’d definitely pick maybe 4 or 5 of the creatures from your list above and add 4 copies of each, then remove the rest. The more they synergize with each other and the other cards in your deck, the better your deck will perform and the more fun you will have!

Hope this was helpful.

Xica on Silent Scepter

3 days ago

Well, if you lack consistency, adding more card draw would likely help. Being limited to a single playset of Serum Visions is very much not acceptable outside all in aggro and burn.

Isochron Scepter is best when you can combine it with multiple playset of cards that are as good with it as Silence.
Imprinting Lightning Bolt on it, gives you Lightning Strike, which is not only unplayable, but strictly better variants like Incendiary Flow or Incinerate are also unplayable.

For this reason i would either suggest dropping red all together, or doing a large search for effects worth imprinting. You need to look for unique stuff.
As very often this reduces consistency, and bars power cards from seeing play, and getting recognition.
Effects like Silence that have been only printed in a single card, to ensure a deck can't abuse mutliple playsets.

rdean14 on Card creation challenge

5 days ago

The two Sponges in Magic's history aree Thought Sponge and Walking Sponge, so:

La'akea, the Observer

Legendary Planeswalker - La'akea

+1: Target permanent loses all abilities until your next turn.

-1: Create a 0/2 blue Sponge creature with defender.

-X: Draw X cards, then put a card from your hand on top of your library.

2

---

Yes, this is specifically designed for Pioneer and Standard, not Modern with it being in Lightning Bolt range, or being a worse Divination. The -1 will be the rarest used ability.

I'd like to see a new Basri Ket or Teyo, the Shieldmage

Oloro_Magic on Grand Prix promo versions of ...

6 days ago

Hey, any issues with editions of cards should be directed to this forum where a moderator can help solve the issue: Official Missing/Incorrect Card Thread.

As for the GP versions, make sure they aren't listed as a variation, for example with Path to Exile, Lightning Bolt, and Sol Ring.

Basically the site codes the promos under the same general tri-set code with a variation number for the correct art, note however that sometimes the price wont be accurate as our moderators have to update that by hand which takes a long time and they already do enough frankly. The above printings can be achieved using the following card codes:

[[card: Path to Exile (000:3)]]

[[card: Lightning Bolt (000:2)]]

[[card: Sol Ring (000:2)]]

Vale,

Oloro

Higin317 on I'm a Sacman! (Scatman Remix!)

1 week ago

Thank you- I was unaware of the printing of Village Rites.

Collateral Damage, in this setup won out over Lightning Bolt because we're looking at 4-5dage for 1 Mana, versus 3 for 1.

The cat oven combo might be fun. But what would be reasonable to take out for the combo?

The priest is interesting - I literally had an entire paragraph written as to why it's not used, but the more I think it over... Lol for Gravecrawler I only point out that there are not zombies here to fuel the reanimation.

GoblinElectromancer on I'm a Sacman! (Scatman Remix!)

1 week ago

I would really like there to be a Rakdos Aristocrats deck in modern

Village Rites is strictly better than Altar's Reap. Lightning Bolt is strictly better than Collateral Damage. Priest of Forgotten Gods works as a great sacrifice outlet for creatures. Maybe use the Cauldron Familiar+Witch's Oven combo? Gravecrawler is an endless sac outlet if you have a zombie. Call of the Death-Dweller is good for reanimating.

Good Luck!

abbatromebone on Temur midrange ramp

1 week ago

• That tutor is amazing run as many as you can. Not only does it find the creature it puts it on the battlefield. You can alos use creatures to help cast the spell (they don't have to be mana dorks).
• Unless the indestructible part is happening a lot there are much better spells to run Lightning Bolt Lava Spike Searing Blaze Rift Bolt and Skewer the Critics all come to mind. Cindervines might be better than Destructive Revelry. And running one copy isnt that amazing.
• I feel its important here to talk about sideboards (SB for short). You can 15 cards outside your normal deck to bring in against certain match ups (techinally after the first game in a round of 3, with friends i let them side board right away). That is where you want to put all of your situational cards for certain decks.
• Cut Blasphemous Act. There 2 main reasons 1) it kills your big dudes you are ramping to as well as your mana dorks 2) if you are that far behind you've probably already lost.
• As for the mana base you arfe running 11 red cards 3 of which are double red. They are cards you are playing later due to the cmc so getting that 2nd red isnt as bad. You have 16 red sources which is a lot for that many cards. Looks like 14 blue soruces for 4 cards. Green is clearly fine. ( I count Sylvan Caryatid, Utopia Sprawl, Gateway Plaza and the other lands as sources. I didn't count arbor elf being it has to hit a forest). You are only running 4 non-forest cards which is fine.

Stardragon on Card creation challenge

1 week ago

PTSD 4

Enchantment-Aura Cure

Enchant Player

Whenever enchanted is dealt damage from a source that has already dealt damage to it, they take an extra 3 damage and discards 2 cards from their hand.

If a instant or sorcery like Lightning Bolt or Fireball dealt damage to a player and if you deal damage with another copy it still makes this effect go off

Make legendary assassin commander that is actually made for assassins' the closest ones we are Queen Marchesa who just makes tokens and Kiku, Night's Flower which can get rid of high power low toughness creatures once a turn but neither actually help assassins. and yes ik there are other legendary assassins but they don't actually do anything for assassins Thraximundar is for aristocratic decks and i honestly didn't think the assassin subtype fits him or his style, Etrata, the Silencer feels more like a rouge than assassin and Kelsien, the Plague is the worst for assassins. Sorry went on a tangent.