Overpowered or balanced in standard format?
Custom Cards forum
Posted on July 24, 2013, 7:49 p.m. by LayWhoZayHer
Would this be balanced or over powered in the standard format? I had the idea of Lightning Bolt and figured WotC would never bring Lightning Bolt back since it's too powerful. Similar to Char . So... How is it?
LayWhoZayHer says... #3
Dritz, who would be stupid enough to target a Boros Reckoner ?
July 24, 2013 8:10 p.m.
I don't think it will be overpowered. Even with the drawback, people will still run it. Lightning Bolt (which will come back one day) helped define the meta when it was standard (does a creature pass the Lightning Bolt test?).
In this standard, Lightning Backlash would do the same thing. I like the drawback. It's a very balanced, red thing to do. People would play this.
July 24, 2013 8:12 p.m.
Also I think Dritz meant a person running Boros Reckoner would also run lightning backlash. It's effectively 5 damage for R.
July 24, 2013 8:13 p.m.
I control a Boros Reckoner . You just cast Obzedat, Ghost Council . I Lightning Backlash Obzedat, Ghost Council and target my Boros Reckoner with the 2 damage to a creature I control. Boros Reckoner 's ability goes onto the stack and targets Obzedat, Ghost Council for the remaining two. Same situation for burning them for 5. Weakens your Boros Reckoner to burn slightly but it already punishes burn so that isn't a huge deal.
July 24, 2013 8:14 p.m.
No worries. I can see why you thought I was being thick. :P haha
Anyway, with Boros Reckoner in Standard I think its a little too good, other than that, nice design. Its definitely a powerful burn spell regardless.
July 24, 2013 8:18 p.m.
LayWhoZayHer says... #13
Lol, so you're basically paying one red mana to deal 5 damage to target creature or player if you control a Reckoner. Wow, I really haven't noticed that. It's a Thunderous Wrath without the high CMC!
July 24, 2013 8:22 p.m.
LayWhoZayHer says... #14
Cast two Lightning Backlashes on Reckoner and deal 10 damage to target creature or player.
July 24, 2013 8:24 p.m.
IAmKingTony says... #15
well sorta, I mean you have to have a Reckoner out, but yeah
this would be the R/W equivalent of Thrag-Resto, most decks would be R/W or R/W/X to and run it somehow
July 24, 2013 8:24 p.m.
Even mono-red could run this. I really like it.
Also, to tweak your brains: Ulti'ing a Chandra, Pyromaster with lightning backlash, targeting two Boros Reckoner with all four backlashes, deals your opponent 28 damage to the dome.
July 24, 2013 8:40 p.m.
I think what would greatly balance the card would be to change the dealing 2 to you to healing the opponent for 2, it then becomes really bad at doming the opponent if you don't have a creature out and it still keeps it high power with reckoner. This form will also keep the card out of modern/legacy burn which would gladly run this over Lava Spike or the version that requires one to sac a land.
July 24, 2013 8:50 p.m.
More than one casting targeting the same Boros Reckoner would run into the problem of killing it unless you make it invulnerable. But since we have Boros Charm and others, that's not a major issue.
July 24, 2013 8:54 p.m.
@raithe000 I would still be more than happy to have a turn where I attack with my Reckoner, probably taking them below 17 and leaving mana open to smash my opponent with this variant by killing my own Reckoner in response to removal.
Picture this not too far-fetched progression:
T1, Legion Loyalist , attack, opponent 19
T2, Burning-Tree Emissary using mana for Lightning Mauler , bond, swing, blocks aren't profitable due to Legion Loyalist s Battalion proc, opponent 14
T3, Swing, lets say blocks are more profitable and only Legion Loyalist makes it, for the sake of lesser damage, nothing tramples, opponent 13. Play Boros Reckoner .
T4 Swing, opponent rarely can favorably block a Reckoner but stops the Loyalist, opponent 10, cast both Lightning Backlashes. Unless they have removal open then they just die.
Beyond that it is also very favorable with Frontline Medic for obvious reasons.
July 24, 2013 9:13 p.m.
if it was 3dd to target creature or play, as an additional casting cost sacrifice a creature or take 3dd too it would be more in line with current standard
July 25, 2013 1:32 a.m.
Lightning Backlash R
Instant
Lightning Backlash deals 3 damage to target creature or player, and 2 damage to you.
Would that work?
July 31, 2013 3:30 a.m.
crystalizeq says... #24
I really like this card, the drawback seems fairly balanced and it would also be useful as removal. I think that standard players would run this card.
But about Boros Reckoner , there are so many combos with him that this card wouldn't be overpowered. That's similar to the combo Blasphemous Act and Boros Reckoner . Is the reckoner and the act broken? Not really, I have yet to see someone actually kill me because of that. Similar to the infinite life gain with Boros Reckoner , however someone actually managed to pull that off against me though.
August 1, 2013 11:12 a.m.
I think the real difference with that, though. Is the Reckoner + Act combo runs right into the problem of 'the other deck might play Boros Reckoners. If they do you lose.' because your opponent's Reckoner triggers will hit the stack second and therefore resolve first. This, on the other hand: Always is bargain-basement cheap. Doesn't force you to wipe your board. Doesn't even necessarily kill a Reckoner to use and always burns the opponent should you desire. All those things together make it many times more consistently potent than the Act shenanigans, honestly.
August 1, 2013 11:28 a.m.
crystalizeq says... #26
I understand what you are saying, but aren't there a lot of good combos that require 2 cards? I mean, yes, Boros Reckoner is a great card and would probably go in almost all decks that have red or white, but calling a card overpowered because of the synchronization with another card just isn't right imo. Plus, wouldn't multiple instances of Lightning Backlash kill the Reckoner? Unless you make him indestructible, then that combo is a bit harder to pull off. But I do guess that in some cases, Lightning Backlash is very powerful with Boros Reckoner on the field
August 1, 2013 11:34 a.m.
The thing is that Reckoner + Act isn't a true two card combo in that you cannot guarantee how many creatures you opponents will be playing, and, unless you want to pay at least 7R (max cost assuming 1 Reckoner and no other creatures) you need to have 'disposable' creatures if you want to reduce that cost, further commiting your hand to try and structure the combo. This card plus Reckoner requires no further imput and has no penalizing if your opponent plays Reckoners. The combination of those things and the great utility as a Char variant makes it simply back-breaking in a simply orchestrated circumstance. It isn't world shattering but I do think that it would be too good for Standard which was the original question.
(Also, yes, two of this card would kill a Reckoner, but, that Reckoner could usually safely enter most combats to deal normal damage and then the two burn spells would deal 10 to the face after the Reckoner procs. That is a major crux of my point here.)
August 1, 2013 11:44 a.m.
difference with blasphemous act is it kills reckoner as well, and costs a lot more, specifically against a control deck which wouldn't run creatures and in theory would have the chance to remove reckoner several times before cast.
This card would allow you to do 5 instant speed damage and not kill reckoner for R. or just straight 5damage to a creature using the 2 for reckoner. so that combo would kill most of the strongest meta creatures and PW for one R. with 0 drawback.
Dritz says... #2
I would like to point out Boros Reckoner here.
July 24, 2013 8:09 p.m.