•
Shock may seem puzzling at first. Why include 4 copies of an inferior
Lightning Bolt? The reason is simple. If we are in a good board state with multiple
Boros Reckoners and/or
Spitemares in play, but we aren’t able to end the game this turn, then a 3-damage burn spell will wipe us out. Without backup, that’s too dangerous. Enter
Shock. Each of our creatures can tank 2 points of damage and stick around waiting for next turn when we play
Magmatic Sinkhole or like a
Shivan Meteor or something to close out the game. You wouldn’t use Mjolnïr to tack up a picture frame; don’t obliterate your side of the board unless you’re positive the opponent is going down with you.
•Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to a single target for one red mana. Except here, where it will deal 3 damage to all your opponent’s creatures, plus 3x however many Boros Reckoners and Spitemares you have in play’s worth of damage directly to the opponent’s life total. Yeah.
•Lightning Helix is a marginally more costly variation of the aforementioned card, but with the added benefit that we gain 3 life. That’s 3 life for each copy of the spell that ends up being cast.
•Magmatic Sinkhole is the nuclear option. The casting cost can be drastically lowered using Delve, it plays at instant speed, and it will burn to cinders our side of the table and most likely theirs as well, but not before heaping multiples of 5 damage directly on the opponent.
