Odyssey Card Spotlight: Firebolt

David Price

Introduced in the very first set of Magic: the Gathering, Alpha, Lightning Bolt has been useful part of many decks. For only one red mana, it can deal three damage to a target creature or player at Instant speed. It is a cheap and efficient way of dealing with creatures, from the annoying Hypnotic Specter to the fearsome Juggernaut, and it could also threaten the opponent's life total with no insignificant amount of damage.

It has been some time since Lightning Bolt could be used in any environment but Vintage Constructed, but many similar cards have been released over the years that fill the void. In Legends, Chain Lightning became a valued member of the red deck's arsenal, dealing three damage to any target at Sorcery speed, although it had the disadvantage of being able to be redirected back at you or one of your own creatures for two red mana. In Ice Age, Incinerate joined the team, able to deal three damage to any target at Instant speed for one red and one generic mana. While more expensive than Lightning Bolt and Chain Lightning, Incinerate had the advantage that a creature could not regenerate from it, frequently dealing the finishing damage to troublesome regenerating creatures like Masticore and River Boa. In Stronghold, Shock was introduced and it, too, was a great success. For one red mana, it can deal two damage to any creature or player at Instant speed. While strictly less powerful than Lightning Bolt, dealing only two damage instead of three, it was still found to be quite useful. Shock became a favorite of red decks and was used to kill many a Jackal Pup and Sarcomancy token. In recent sets, Shock became the model for quick and efficient red direct damage. Seal of Fire was released in Nemesis and it is an enchantment for one red mana that can be sacrificed to deal two damage to any target. Meanwhile Assault/Battery, a split card from Invasion, could deal two damage to any creature for one red mana at Sorcery speed or could be used to make a 3/3 green creature token for one green and three generic mana.

Since Magic players fell in love with Lightning Bolt, almost all of its ancestors have been put to good use from the Pro Tour to the casual games at the local store. Odyssey brings us yet another card in the proud lineage of Lightning Bolt and it is bound to be as celebrated.

Firebolt is a Sorcery that deals two damage to a target creature or player for one red mana. In addition, it has a Flashback cost of one red and four generic mana. Flashback is a new mechanic from Odyssey that allows a player to cast the spell from the graveyard (thereby removing it from the game) by paying the Flashback cost.

Without taking Flashback into consideration, Firebolt seems weaker than many of its predecessors, only able to be cast during a player's main phase, unlike Shock, and being less flexible and powerful than Assault/Battery. Flashback is no small consideration, however. For an additional mana cost later in the game, it produces the same effect again, allowing Firebolt to kill a second weenie creature or deal another two damage to the opponent. While still efficient in the early game, dealing two damage to a target creature or player, the card has an added strength in the mid to late game and allows for the potential of card advantage. Very few red burn spells are cheap and efficient enough to play in constructed and can also allow a player to nullify multiple cards of the opponent, in this case, two creatures of toughness two or less. This added late game punch reminds us of Hammer of Bogardan, a recursive Lightning Bolt-type card from Mirage. Hammer of Bogardan is a Sorcery that can deal three damage to a creature or player for two red and one generic mana. In addition, it could be returned from the graveyard to the hand for three red and two generic mana. While Firebolt lacks the raw power of Hammer of Bogardan, as it can only be used twice as opposed to the infinite casting potential of Hammer of Bogardan, Firebolt is a much more efficient spell in the early game and it is also easier to cast the second time around from the graveyard.

In Limited, Firebolt's power and usefulness is only exceeded by Hammer of Bogardan. Removal is much sought after in Sealed Deck and Draft and Firebolt provides not just one, but two removal spells in one. In addition, having only one red mana in its casting cost, Firebolt is easy to splash, so it isn't restricted to decks with a heavy red mana base. Depending on the power and quantity of one and two toughness creatures in Odyssey, expect to see Firebolt be a welcome addition to any Sealed Deck and a high pick in Draft. Even if there is a dearth of useful weenie creatures in Odyssey, which is doubtful, Firebolt can be used to deal four damage to a single larger creature if a player is able to pay two red and four generic mana in one turn.

As for Constructed, Firebolt will undoubtably find a good home there, as well. Its major drawback is that it is a Sorcery, so it can only be cast during the controller's main phase. Still, Seal of Fire and Shock were both valued components of Mike Turian's top 8 deck from Worlds 2001 and Firebolt could easily fit into that type of mono-red beatdown deck. Firebolt's other close rival, Assault/Battery, found a happy home in Zvi Mowshowitz's top 8 deck from Pro Tour-Chicago, a Red/Green Fires deck. While Shock is strictly better in the early game than Firebolt, as it can be cast at Instant speed, Firebolt's reasonable Flashback cost easily puts it on par with that card in Constructed and sets it apart from weaker cards like Seal of Fire and Assault/Battery. If all of these cards can be put to use in successful Pro Tour decks, it won't be long before Firebolt follows in their footsteps.