Lightning Helix

Instant

This deals 3 damage to any target (creature, player, planeswalker or battle) and you gain 3 life.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Historic Brawl	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Pre-release	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Standard	Legal
Standard Brawl	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (49)

VladMarkov on First

1 week ago

I reckon, what the deck really needs, is lots of cheap spells that can be cast on every player's turn, to get the most value out of the flurry mechanic. The game plan should be to cast Shiko and Narset, Unified on turn 4, prepare the board beforehand, and then spam small, damage-dealing spells that can easily be brought back with tricks like Underworld BreachGC, Lier, Disciple of the Drowned, or by recasting copies with Narset, Enlightened Exile. You could then replace draw-discard effects with more "pure" card draw options like Treasure Cruise (if you have a lot of cards in your graveyard), Quick Study or flexible draw like Flame of Anor. The main gameplay should revolve around cheap, repeatable spells, but there can also be some utility from the Magecraft mechanic. Most importantly, the deck should keep continuous pressure on opponents by dealing large amounts of damage through copying small spells.

Must have: Path to Exile, Cyclonic RiftGC

Useful: Cori Mountain Stalwart, Devoted Duelist, Monk of the Open Hand, Ashling, Flame Dancer, Jori En, Ruin Diver, Ledger Shredder, Smoldering Egg  ^Flip, Burst Lightning, Electrolyze, Virtue of Courage, Fire / Ice, Galvanic Blast, Heartflame Duelist, Ionize, Lightning Bolt, Lightning Helix, Lightning Strike, Magma Jet, Parch, Play with Fire, Punishing Fire, Risk Factor, Sacred Fire, Searing Spear, Shock, Skullcrack, Thunderbolt, Wild Slash

Possible: Taigam, Master Opportunist, Breeches, the Blastmaker, Gale, Waterdeep Prodigy, Rammas Echor, Ancient Shield, Storm of Saruman, Turn / Burn, Price of Progress, Finale of Promise, Increasing Vengeance, Frolicking Familiar, Molten Influence, Slaying Fire, Wizard's Lightning,

hyalopterouslemur on Beta Brackets Update Today

2 weeks ago

DemonDragonJ: Yeah, my loathing of five-color goodstuff mostly comes from how this is supposed to be the color-restricted format: I have a Ghave, Guru of Spores deck, but if I want to make a Rith, the Awakener or Marath, Will of the Wild *f-etch* deck, I have to lose the black cards (and probably the entire Aristocrats theme). So, no more Grave Pact or Dictate of Erebos. No more Pitiless Plunderer. No more Diabolic Intent. No more Blood Artist or Bastion of Remembrance. I do gain red, though, so say hello to Purphoros, God of the Forge. Rhys the Redeemed or Nemata, Primeval Warden would be even more restricted, as token decks go.

My removal also suffers, since red removal is surprisingly bad in this format. (Seriously, I'd argue white has the best removal, followed closely by black. Green's a distant third, and red and blue are tied for fourth: Red has more removal, blue has better removal.)

And it happens between Oloro, Ageless Ascetic, Betor, Ancestor's Voice, Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim, Beledros Witherbloom, and Licia, Sanguine Tribune too. All are lifegain, but only Oloro can use Absorb and Drogskol Reaver. Only Licia can use Lightning Helix and Searing Meditation. Only Betor can use Beledros Witherbloom. Ayli and Witherbloom are even more restricted, especially since Witherbloom can't use the color that's best at lifegain.

But that's the whole point. When I choose a Commander, I make a lot of choices regarding deck construction. I can't say "Cathars' Crusade would be good in my Animar, Soul of Elements deck." because, well, it wouldn't; it would be illegal. That forces me to pick, I don't know, Ivy Lane Denizen or Forgotten Ancient instead. Corpsejack Menace? You mean Branching Evolution? (Aside from the name, why is Corpsejack Menace {B} anyway? I actually wouldn't mind if it were {G}{U} just because that's Simic's thing.) And so on down the line.

Five-color goodstuff opts to ignore all of this. And right now, there are more five-color decks in EDH than in Legacy.

Eh, I can always just hate them out with Primal Order.

That's my rant about how too much five-color goodstuff is bad for the game.

Anyway, I play Aura Shards and Seedborn Muse in a lot of decks too. Aura Shards is really oppressive in a token build, or even a reanimator build. Seedborn Muse is interesting because she's either overpowered (anything {G}{U}, token builds, Yeva, Nature's Herald) or just a fancy Village Bell-Ringer without the Splinter Twin combo. I have to go through my decks now and see which ones have four or more game changers.

Sliverguy420 on sorin combo

2 months ago

i'd just change the shell to make it noncombo. there are other cards besides sorin that can damage the opponent when you gain life, and other ways of gaining life that won't cost you cards in hand. things like Weather the Storm or Lightning Helix. "soul sister" effects could also work.

Apoptosis on Gear Up!

5 months ago

Specific changes. All of these changes optimize card draw, tutoring, protection to board state, create synergies and infinite combos, and optimization to allow instant speed responses.

OUT: Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist (thought this would be awesome, disappointed in performance) Assemble the Players (sub-optimal card draw) Aurelia's Fury Bitterthorn, Nissa's Animus (land drops have not been a problem and by the time I draw it, I needed something else) Brimaz, King of Oreskos (love this guy, but had to cut) Chained to the Rocks Elbrus, the Binding Blade  ^Flip (obtained better equipment) Fellwar Stone Hixus, Prison Warden (never happy when I had this in hand because you need to let the damage land, plus you fail to build board state when waiting to draw a punch) Illusionist's Bracers (I realized there was little in this deck that this could help) Kemba, Kha Enduring (I want the option of where the equipment goes) Kjeldoran Outpost (did help create a chump blocker and spend unused mana, but I didn't like losing the land) Lapse of Certainty (replaced with better options, but I love this card) Lightning Helix Path of Mettle  ^Flip (never had good results) Prophetic Flamespeaker (under-performed) Puresteel Paladin (tough cut) Purphoros, God of the Forge (under-performed) Rogue's Passage Sea Gate Wreckage Silverblade Paladin (love this guy, tough cut) Sram, Senior Edificer (very tough and recent cut for Leonin Shikari and Merry, who are just better but I may put back in) Sword of the Animist (land drops have not been a problem and by the time I draw it, I needed something else) Wingmate Roc (love it but under-performed)

In: Esper Sentinel (card draw) Leonin Shikari (instant speed equiping is amazing) Merry, Esquire of Rohan (card draw) Enlightened Tutor (great for combos/synergies) Sigarda's Aid (so great) Pyrohemia (this card is a beast with Iroas! Even without Iroas must people don't have easy ways to deal with enchantments and this is a wraith on a stick. I've added it to all of my red decks and it's cousin (Pestilence) to my black decks in a slot I would normally hold for a wraith) Teferi's Protection (protect the board state) Excalibur, Sword of Eden Fighter Class (tutor!) Angelic Skirmisher (lifelink to stretch game and facilitates infinite combos) Splendor Mare (put it on Reckoner or Spitemare, give them indestructable, and gain infinite life, or move it to pyrohemia with nesting grounds to get massive amounts of life as you flamethrower the whole table!!) Mask of Avacyn (better option then shroud from boots, you need to be able to dynamically react/voltron) Mob Rule (this just finishes games) Smothering Tithe (ramp) Sunforger (some say you must build around this, I say you use this as a key tutor for when you need an instant) Nesting Grounds Spitemare The One Ring (card draw, duh) Minas Tirith (card draw) Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion (value engine, mana dump) Phyrexian Vindicator (beefy flier, helps get Iroas online, and difficult to remove) War of the Last Alliance (tutor) Hall of Heliod's Generosity (bring back pyrohemia and flamethrower the world all over again!!) Mask of Memory (card draw) Boromir, Warden of the Tower (protect board state)

Fluggleshmuggits on Cube Eternal

5 months ago

IN
Bonny Pall, Clearcutter
Kitsa, Otterball Elite
Coruscation Mage
Arcane Artisan
Esper Sentinel
Warleader's Call
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Pyrogoyf

OUT
Hydroid Krasis
Merfolk Looter
Firebrand Archer
Mist Raven
Gideon's Triumph
Lightning Helix
Sphinx's Revelation
Blistering Firecat

wallisface on

8 months ago

I personally feel like the strength of Phlage, Titan of Fire's Fury is to eventually end up on the battlefield and swinging - bringing it back from the grave in the manner you’re doing effectively just means your deck is running a bunch of situational Lightning Helix, which is probably still reasonable, but feels less powerful than just letting Phlage do what it does best naturally.

I’m worried that if your opponent has a single Surgical Extraction your deck kindof just ceases to exist.

It’s also worth noting that you have no guarantee of drawing Phlage, especially without any form of card draw, and I think those matchups will be a struggle.

nuperokaso on Boros Impact

10 months ago

• Replace 3 Krenko's Command and 1 Dragon Fodder with 4 Rally at the Hornburg. Those tokens have haste, unlike the original, making them a superior choice.
• Replace the 3 Goblin Instigator with 3 Forbidden Friendship. One of those tokens has haste, making them a superior choice. Also you prefer 2 tokens rather than a create plus token, since you play an Intangible Virtue.
• Replace 1 Resolute Reinforcements with the 4th Raise the Alarm. As mentioned, since you play Intangible Virtue, you prefer tokens.
• Your deck plays no 3 drops. That's a mistake - 3 drops are more powerful than 2 drops, and since you have nothing better to play on your third turn, you want to convert a few 2 drops to a 3 drop. Otherwise you just waste 1 mana and play a lower-power spell. Remove the last 2 Resolute Reinforcements and the last 2 Dragon Fodder and add 4 Hordeling Outburst.
• Sacred Fire is not that good. Remove them and just play 4 Lightning Helix.
• Firemane Angel is way too expensive and you can ignore the abilities that work only in the graveyard. Replace it with a Nobilis of War.

CNG_Stream on Boros Aggro

1 year ago

Interesting Idea you have going here, but I think the deck isn't really focused around Kellan seeing a lack of equipment/auras that can be used to enhance your creatures. Looks like your deck is caught bettween aggro and value and not focusing enough on one or the other.

For aggro you may want to trim:

Baird, Argivian Recruiter - 4 copies too many as it is legendary and the tokens it makes are not really feeding into other strats. If you want to place focus on Boaird, would suggests different deck style.

Spellbook Vendor as the card is kind of a slow value card for a deck that looks like it is trying to be fast aggro

Rabbit Battery while decent, the pump bonus is small, you are lacking threats to really apply this to outside of Kellan

Skrelv, Defector Mite 2 copies at most since the card is bad for you to draw in multiples unless vs control

Cards to add / consider:

Cacophony Scamp - Trades up easily especially with pump and can be a way to push lethal through blockers with death trigger

Monastery Swiftspear - Works well with alot of your current spells and gives you a great 1 drop. You could consider Goblin Tomb Raider if you prefer a static bonus not requiring prowess, but you would need a more artifact focus (see next couple suggestions)

Sword of Once and Future - if you have a copy this can be a great 1 of for deck (or sideboard) as it gives relvant protections that can be added straight to hand (Birthright Boon) and can allow you to setup top of deck and small chance to cast back spells from grave. This would also make Lightning Helix a possible reconsidered spell.

Mirran Banesplitter - Decent pump bonus for 1 maan at flash making a decent combat trick that stays on board even if you lose creature and can be attached again later at a somewhat reasonable cost. Pairs great with Scamp as surprise pump.

Dire Flail  ^Flip - This equipment would be to just have a cheap +2/0 bonus you can apply to creatures, the craft side not likely relvant. Would likely stick with Banesplitter unless you want cheaper equip cost.

Barbed Batterfist - Its like playing a 2 mana 3/1 that leaves an artifact behind once the tokens gone relevant for cards like Rebel Salvo. Also serves a creature you can search for with Kellen adventure.

Rebel Salvo - If you like the equip idea, then Salvo could be a cheaper alternative to Witchstalker Frenzy.

While I have tinkered with a deck like this in the past, problem is usually it just runs slower then red pump or the boros convoke deck. Hope these suggestions help.