[SCG] Harnessed Lightning

[MaximumC]

I was watching Harnessed Lightning become a $2-3 uncommon after the Pro Tour, which made me start to think more deeply about this little burn spell. I came to appreciate a few things about its power that I didn't grasp at first, and I was wondering if people have experimented with it in Legacy at all.

I initially discounted the card because I figured it was only an Incinerate variant. Sure, it could be bigger if you were playing Energy enablers, but very few of them seemed playable on their own, so I moved on. But, on further reflection, this kind of card could be quite flexible and powerful in a deck with lots of card draw / selection / recursion (i.e. Brainstorm, Ponder, Snapcaster Mage).

Here's the critical thing I missed: this is more like Forked Lightning than Incinerate. When you cast this spell, you can burn something for 1, 2, or 3. If you are only killing a Thalia, you only need to burn for 1. The other 2 burn points basically go into a bank. Next time you cast Harnessed Lightning, or recur it, you can now use that banked energy to get a 5-for-2 damage spell. Or bank it further. It can grow as the game grows and potentially be able to nail larger creatures as you go up the curve.

Now, it can't hit players, so it probably can't work as a finisher in, say, Delver. But is being a "scalable" burn spell worth it?

Any thoughts?

[PirateKing]

I can't think of a single creature only burn spell that gets played in Legacy. Only thing close are sweepers like Pyroclasm and Kozilek's Return. Are there any that get played?

[Poron]

It only targets creature in a format where you have Abrupt Decay Doom Blade Swords to Plowshares Path to Exile and everything you can imagine.

Also, in the world where you have enough Enery Counter to give that card a sense, you definitly prefer to invest them in Aetherworks Marvel

[Fjaulnir]

Also, in the world where you have enough Enery Counter to give that card a sense, you definitly prefer to invest them in Aetherworks Marvel

Except, that you can actually use this card to burn for 1-2 and then *save up* some energy to use for said Aetherworks Marvel ;)


(don't think it's great tbh, but just pointing out that it does have some synergy instead of dissynergy(?) with Aethwks)

[rufus]

...

Here's the critical thing I missed: this is more like Forked Lightning than Incinerate. When you cast this spell, you can burn something for 1, 2, or 3. If you are only killing a Thalia, you only need to burn for 1. The other 2 burn points basically go into a bank. Next time you cast Harnessed Lightning, or recur it, you can now use that banked energy to get a 5-for-2 damage spell. Or bank it further. It can grow as the game grows and potentially be able to nail larger creatures as you go up the curve.

Now, it can't hit players, so it probably can't work as a finisher in, say, Delver. But is being a "scalable" burn spell worth it?

Any thoughts?

A problem is that you only get back end value if you have a way to use energy. Supposing you play Aether Hub, you'd still need to find 1-2 other good legacy cards that use the energy mechanic (and care about 1-2 extra energy).

[Poron]

Except, that you can actually use this card to burn for 1-2 and then *save up* some energy to use for said Aetherworks Marvel ;)


(don't think it's great tbh, but just pointing out that it does have some synergy instead of dissynergy(?) with Aethwks)

yes, seen from that point of view, yes. 3 counters instant speed are good.
It would have been great if it cantripped or just made you draw a card

[Cire]

If next set brings us another decent energy use card . . . maybe?

At the moment though - Harnessed Lightning and Aether Hub seem like an alright removal package in standard.