T
Tabasco
Guest
Reckless Charge is only a boost of 3 + haste..
Although it is nice considering that it has flashback...
Now if you want to see a sick 10 damage for 3 red mana try:
Spark Elemental + Reckless Charge ....then before the end of the turn....Reckless Abandon him for 4 more....hey he is gonna die anyway, why not use him as ammo. 10 Damage for 3 red...Not even the Ball Lightning can pull this off.
Although it is nice considering that it has flashback...
Now if you want to see a sick 10 damage for 3 red mana try:
Spark Elemental + Reckless Charge ....then before the end of the turn....Reckless Abandon him for 4 more....hey he is gonna die anyway, why not use him as ammo. 10 Damage for 3 red...Not even the Ball Lightning can pull this off.
True, but if the cards also work with other creatures in the deck for lesser damage, then it might be worth it... the odds wouldn't be simply what are the chances that those three specific cards are in your hand, but any combo of the two boosters and creatures.
I guess it is unclear why you said
I took it strictly as you were comparing losing 1 card vs 3 and I was saying it was worth it if you gain turn advantage. This was all assuming that you had built the deck and it was geared towards dealing the max damage and you had the cards in your hand. If there was something else behind it, such as whether those cards need to be in the deck in the first place, that's more fundamental and goes before my assumption of where the situation is.
M
Mikeymike
Guest
I should have specified better, I knew I was too vague.
Reckless Charge itself is providing 3 extra damage. However, there are 20 creatures in the deck that it can and often will give haste to, allowing them to deal 1-3 damage by attacking 1 turn early. Since this would not be possibly w/o the Charge, I'm saying it is providing 5.
For instance:
Turn 1: Pups
Turn 2: Lion + Charge, swing 2 Pup damage, 5 Lion damage (5 damage that would not have been possible w/o the Charge)
Turn 3: Whatever
Turn 4: 1 CC creature, flashback Charge for another extra 4+.
M
Mikeymike
Guest
My explanation was for Worcestershire, er Tabasco.
Regarding Spark Elemental, I completely agree with you Oversoul. IMO, it reads
Spark Elemental - R
Sorcery
Spark Elemental may only be played during your first main phase.
Spark Elemental deals 3 damage to target opponent. Opponent may choose to have any of that 3 damage dealt to target creature.
It is not a good burn spell, and it is not a reliable creature. That'd be my Reckless Charge slot.
T
Tabasco
Guest
but....your are forgeting the mechanic that makes sparky so good....Trample!
If the block with any 3 toughness or lower creature, the will lose that creature.....It does not matter to you whether they block or not, because Sparky takes a dirt nap at the end of the turn any way.
Soooooo, What I am saying is that if played early on, and as my experience shows, most people would rather take the three damage than lose their creature. It is more or less a Lightning Bolt but in creature form....and is another 3 damage for one red.
Now if however the Spark elemental had staying power, then yes I totally agree....they would block it so it would die, but many players I have faced while running it in my sligh deck have just taken the three because they know he wont last more than one turn...
It all depends on how you look at it....Now think of spark elemental as a creture and give it wild might.....if they cant pay the 2, they are looking at 8 TRAMPLING damage, that is fatter than many of greens beats!!
If the block with any 3 toughness or lower creature, the will lose that creature.....It does not matter to you whether they block or not, because Sparky takes a dirt nap at the end of the turn any way.
Soooooo, What I am saying is that if played early on, and as my experience shows, most people would rather take the three damage than lose their creature. It is more or less a Lightning Bolt but in creature form....and is another 3 damage for one red.
Now if however the Spark elemental had staying power, then yes I totally agree....they would block it so it would die, but many players I have faced while running it in my sligh deck have just taken the three because they know he wont last more than one turn...
It all depends on how you look at it....Now think of spark elemental as a creture and give it wild might.....if they cant pay the 2, they are looking at 8 TRAMPLING damage, that is fatter than many of greens beats!!
Oversoul
The Tentacled One
It is not as good as Lightning Bolt. It is not as good as Mogg Fanatic (and an opposing Fanatic deals with Spark Elemental rather effectively).
I think the issue here though is that while you (Tabasco) are looking at Spark Elemental as a creature that can act as a burn spell, Mikeymike (and myself) are looking at it more from the angle that as a burn spell it is bad and as a creature it has no staying power. If it had the best of both worlds, then it would certainly be an incredible card. But it just leaves too much open to question. What happens when the opponent drops Wall of Blossoms? Even Fog or Ice (from Fire/Ice). It is too easily dealt with.
I think the issue here though is that while you (Tabasco) are looking at Spark Elemental as a creature that can act as a burn spell, Mikeymike (and myself) are looking at it more from the angle that as a burn spell it is bad and as a creature it has no staying power. If it had the best of both worlds, then it would certainly be an incredible card. But it just leaves too much open to question. What happens when the opponent drops Wall of Blossoms? Even Fog or Ice (from Fire/Ice). It is too easily dealt with.
T
Tabasco
Guest
You are going to cast Ice first turn? The cards you listed are mostly 2 casting cost spells...Whos uses fog? and for 3 damage?
Okay the burn it in responce....I'll give you that one, but would you honestly watse a Mogg Fantastic on a Spark Elemental when the thing dies anyway....the people in my area certainly wouldn't because it will do more good down the road as an attacker.
Now If you got out an early Wall of Blossoms, I am going to be playing burn along with effcient creatures in my sligh deck, so the wall will most likely not be blocking to much. Fireblast would do t a good one...as would shock and Lightning Bolt
TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE!!!!!
TRAMPLE?.......OH YEAH AND TRAMPLE!!!
Okay the burn it in responce....I'll give you that one, but would you honestly watse a Mogg Fantastic on a Spark Elemental when the thing dies anyway....the people in my area certainly wouldn't because it will do more good down the road as an attacker.
Now If you got out an early Wall of Blossoms, I am going to be playing burn along with effcient creatures in my sligh deck, so the wall will most likely not be blocking to much. Fireblast would do t a good one...as would shock and Lightning Bolt
TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE! TRAMPLE!!!!!
TRAMPLE?.......OH YEAH AND TRAMPLE!!!
Oversoul
The Tentacled One
If first turn is the only turn that this thing is any use, it's a pretty pointless card...
There are other cards that can deal three on the first turn, like Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, and Lava Spike. And they could be used later in the game too...
The best burn spell, Lightning Bolt, is good because it does 3 damage for a single mana, at instant speed, to any target creature or player.
Spark Elemental is worse than Lightning Bolt for a number of reasons...
It is not an instant, to begin with...
More importantly, it give the opponent a choice. They can either block and lose a creature or they can take 3. Sure, there's trample, but they pick whether or not they block at all. And if they have a creature that can survive it then the best Spark Elemental can do is to weaken it for another burn spell (waste of cards usually). In COK, they introduced a new burn spell that isn't all that bad: Lava Spike. But no one was seriously excited about it. It only hits players and at sorcery speed.
Spark Elemental is, at best a Lava Spike, because in almost any practical situation, the opponent can simply choose not to block it. This should be seen as a bad thing. When I give the opponent a choice, it should be something like "split these five cards into two piles and I'm going to have one of them."
T
Tabasco
Guest
Argh.....okay yes by itself in the late game...spark elemental is not a good burn spell, of course though when it gets enhancement....you will not chose to block with your creature, then sparky gets bigger and they take trample damage and lose a creature who they thought would be sufficient as a blocker before the said Spark elemental suddenly got bigger....
Spark Elemental is NOT a burn spell, so stop comparing it to one...That would be the same as saying that Jackel pup is a Shock, but a sorcery speed. Or that a Mogg Fantastic is a sorcery speed Lava Dart with an instant flashback of sacrifice this creature....
It is a creature, with no staying power....so is Ball Lightning But I am sure you think Ball Lightning is great....why not just say it is a burn spell too?
Spark Elemental is NOT a burn spell, so stop comparing it to one...That would be the same as saying that Jackel pup is a Shock, but a sorcery speed. Or that a Mogg Fantastic is a sorcery speed Lava Dart with an instant flashback of sacrifice this creature....
It is a creature, with no staying power....so is Ball Lightning But I am sure you think Ball Lightning is great....why not just say it is a burn spell too?
Oversoul
The Tentacled One
Jackal Pup is better thank Shock because it attacks multiple times. Mogg Fanatic is better than Lava Dart because it attacks multiple times and doesn't kill your land...
Ball Lightning though, IS used as a burn spell. The different being that it deals a whopping six damage at an affordable cost.
You can bet that if there were a sorcery like this...
Flaming Doom!
RRR
Sorcery
Flaming Doom! deals 6 damage to target player.
...it would be popular. 6 damage is quite a punch for one card to pack. Spark Elemental may cost only one third as much, and do half as much damage, but two Spark Elementals is also twice as much card disadvantage as Ball Lightning. Of course, there's also the fact that Ball Lightning can trample right over Serra Angel or Juggernaut, whilst Spark Elemental is cancelled out by Rogue Elephant...
Ball Lightning though, IS used as a burn spell. The different being that it deals a whopping six damage at an affordable cost.
You can bet that if there were a sorcery like this...
Flaming Doom!
RRR
Sorcery
Flaming Doom! deals 6 damage to target player.
...it would be popular. 6 damage is quite a punch for one card to pack. Spark Elemental may cost only one third as much, and do half as much damage, but two Spark Elementals is also twice as much card disadvantage as Ball Lightning. Of course, there's also the fact that Ball Lightning can trample right over Serra Angel or Juggernaut, whilst Spark Elemental is cancelled out by Rogue Elephant...
T
Tabasco
Guest
The point is that it is a creature and not a burn spell and thus it can receive creature enhancement and is the perfect target for any sac. ability as it dies either way.... Its trample ability gives it and edge over jackel pup or rougue elephant in that when pumped, the elephant is stopped bu a 0/1 where as a trampler will hurt you just the same.
Oversoul
The Tentacled One
On that count, Spark Elemental may have a use...
But why not use a creature that remains in play? Trample? It's nice, but not vital. Rancor is really good for giving creatures trample. It's generally a good idea to give the unblocked creatures the bonus from instant speed pumping...
Spark Elemental might benefit in such a deck. But having to cast the enhancement on the same turn as the Elemental is annoying. Also, stuff like Rancor is much more potent on something like a Kird Ape or River Boa...
But why not use a creature that remains in play? Trample? It's nice, but not vital. Rancor is really good for giving creatures trample. It's generally a good idea to give the unblocked creatures the bonus from instant speed pumping...
Spark Elemental might benefit in such a deck. But having to cast the enhancement on the same turn as the Elemental is annoying. Also, stuff like Rancor is much more potent on something like a Kird Ape or River Boa...