MTG Salvation

Not a slam dunk, but might be one of the better shock variants. Cheap red spells are definitely good if your cube has a lot of cards like:

Experimental Frenzy
Mizzix's Mastery
Dreadhorde Arcanist
Bedlam Reveler

This might be difficult to break into cubes that need red to support Storm, WildFire, Aristocrats, Artifacts etc

The floor for this card is fairly mid-high - shock variants are strong. If the opponent has good targets, 1 mana shock is strong. If the opponent lacks targets, 2 damage + 1 scry isn't the end of the world.

I've always highly valued the value of scry - For limit formats, the curve + mana base isn't consistent and scry goes a long way. I've noticed as many as 30-40% of games are lost by red aggro or control decks by missing their 3rd or 4th land drop. I could see an EOT Play with Fire could be incredibly strong at helping to scry for an additional land.

Shock Variants are incredibly strong for clearing blocks/ mana dorks for the numerous rabblemaster variants, especially if these decks anticipating curving into Hazoret/ Chandra etc. They could be useful for dealing the last few points of damage, but I've frequently seen games are won more or less via tempo than straight up burn. I've found that cheap 1 CMC burn (even Forked Bolt or Galvanic Blast) could be stronger than the more expensive Staggershock, Char or Roil Eruption if your cube is still running them.

Lastly, just having access to a variety of cheap spells goes a long way in helping those spells matter/ grindy decks that tries to seek an advantage turn 4-5 using a spell like Wheel of Fortune or Experimental Frenzy to gain a 4 for 1 in the late game. 1 CMC burn is often card disadvantage in decks like Green-Red Lands, but it provides invaluable time to help these decks get their engine online. Scry cannot be underestimated here.

I like it, shock is a fine floor as long as it has late game value, and scry one is solid stuff. Obviously the face-targeting requirement for the scry is rough so this can never 2-for-1, but vs creature decks any and all burn is usually great regardless, so the late game bonuses are usually most relevant vs decks that don't play a lot of creatures or only play really big creatures, in which case your burn is almost always going face anyways so the scry is super relevant. Burn that can targeting anything for cheap is just so good, so this is probably getting a test for us.

Quote from NotScottMescudi »

I like it, shock is a fine floor as long as it has late game value, and scry one is solid stuff. Obviously the face-targeting requirement for the scry is rough so this can never 2-for-1, but vs creature decks any and all burn is usually great regardless, so the late game bonuses are usually most relevant vs decks that don't play a lot of creatures or only play really big creatures, in which case your burn is almost always going face anyways so the scry is super relevant. Burn that can targeting anything for cheap is just so good, so this is probably getting a test for us.

I can side with that - the problem is again not sure who to cut. I would love to add another cheap burn, but if I do, I would like another heavy hitter that can take advantage of the spells matter theme.

Scry 2 would have gone a long way to make me consider this…

Not getting Scry when hitting a creature or planeswalker is a bummer. It may still make it over Burst Lightning or Firebolt, but I don't think so. Still a fine Shock variant.

If this is going into my cube, I will likely be finding room for Experimental Frenzy as well. Frenzy has been a pretty fun/ live the dream style card but was cut because it was a bit too slow.

How you rank this with other shock variants?

This seems Worse than Burst Lightning IMO. However, this should be better than Galvanic Blast, Tarfire those cards in lists 540+ cubes

This is card to say, but I would roughly rank it like this:

1. Burst Lightning
2. Firebolt
3. Playing with Fire
4. Forked Bolt - This has been on my radar for a while - It feels like a nice mix between burn + sweeper. Fury took its place in the discussion.
5. Galvanic Blast - Assuming powered cube
6. Tarfire/ Seal of Fire - This is if delirium/ enchantment support etc is an archetype.

I wouldn't fault anyone for playing any combination of these 6 - they're really not that far off.

That's a pretty good list, although I'd place Flame Slash on the list, and towards the top. Sorcery and only hits creatures, but creatures are the most common target, and four damage is a good deal.

I'll play this card.

I prefer Firebolt to Burst Lightning as I'm more likely to get the extra damage if the game drags long with Firebolt even if Firebolt was in my opening hand. The same isn't true of burst lightning as I'm likely to not get that extra damage if it is in my opening hand since I may need to use it.

I think Playing with Fire and Forked Bolt are both fairly strong cards - It is unfortunate I likely cannot find room for 1 more 1 CMC burn spell.

Quote from Szko »

I prefer Firebolt to Burst Lightning as I'm more likely to get the extra damage if the game drags long with Firebolt even if Firebolt was in my opening hand. The same isn't true of burst lightning as I'm likely to not get that extra damage if it is in my opening hand since I may need to use it.

Fair enough - I don't think the two are that far off on power level.

Quote from Mergatroid_Jones »

That's a pretty good list, although I'd place Flame Slash on the list, and towards the top. Sorcery and only hits creatures, but creatures are the most common target, and four damage is a good deal.

I'll play this card.

I like Flame Slash a lot too.

I'm a fan of shock + upside and recently started going as deep as galvanic blast to get my perceived density.
I plan to test Playing with Fire over Galvanic Blast.

That being said, galvanic blast is very high up on the chopping block and this shock is at most 1% better in my eyes.
Not excited by any means.

Shocks primarily function as removal with burn being their backup mode. Pointing them at your opponents face should only be done to finish them off or empty your hand (Wheel of fortune, Experimental Frenzy, Runaway steamkin). This adds an additional mode of pointing it at opponents face to scry when desperate for a land. That value is very marginal because there's a cost to obtain it. (shock is inefficient as burn)

I'm really happy to see you updated your list

I've have had so many situations where I need to top deck a land or a land of a certain color so I can cast Goblin Rabblemaster or Chandra, Torch of Defiance on the next turn. I anticipate using this card a lot EOT to shock the opponent to scry - I find as many as 30-40% of games are lost in cube from inconsistent mana. (Assuming the opponent has no good targets)

But I do agree, shock is not an efficient damage spell and should primarily function as removal.

I think this is worse than burst lightning, firebolt, and magma jet, and those are the only shock variants I'm currently running (I think red decks will generally care a lot more about the potential for 4 damage than about occasional scry 1, and scry 2 and on all targets is well worth the extra mana on magma jet since running out of gas is such a huge problem for R decks). I do think this one is better than all the shocks that can turn into a bolt like Galvanic Blast.

Quote from asmallcat »

I think this is worse than burst lightning, firebolt, and magma jet, and those are the only shock variants I'm currently running (I think red decks will generally care a lot more about the potential for 4 damage than about occasional scry 1, and scry 2 and on all targets is well worth the extra mana on magma jet since running out of gas is such a huge problem for R decks). I do think this one is better than all the shocks that can turn into a bolt like Galvanic Blast.

I would probably rank this lower than those 3, but not by that much.