This is actually Game Two of the previous post’s brawl between Zoo and the Lightning Bolt Deck.
… But this time, we are examining the game from the perspective of the enemy!
Why is Spark Elemental worth playing in a world full of Mind’s Desires and Death Clouds? Why would the greatest player of all time have chosen this deck, let alone posted a top finish with it at the World Champsionships?
Check out the SWOT on the Lightning Bolt Deck to find out!
LOVE
MIKE
P.S. Here is Jon Finkel’s Lightning Bolt Deck from the 2008 World Championships:
3 Flames of the Blood Hand
4 Incinerate
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Lava Spike
4 Magma Jet
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Rift Bolt
4 Shrapnel Blast
4 Spark Elemental
4 Sulfuric Vortex
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
1 Darksteel Citadel
4 Great Furnace
12 Mountain
Sideboard
4 Ensnaring Bridge
3 Firespout
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
4 Smash to Smithereens
I have been calling this deck the Lightning Bolt Deck largely for want of a better name.
Basically the deck has every “bad” Lightning Bolt reprint from Spark Elemental and Lava Spike on one (Lightning Bolts that can’t kill Hypnotic Specters) to Incinerate on two (Lightning Bolt for twice the cost).
In all seriousness, the critical mass of burn in the Lightning Bolt Deck can help win the game very quickly (as in the video itself). This deck is definitely on my short list.
6 comments ↓
I have the feeling this will be the most popular deck at PTQs due mainly to the fact that its the cheapest by far to build up, and relatively easy to learn how to play, ie burn your opponents face until they die. However, ive seen this deck losing to mono blue fae quite a bit, it just runs out of gas and MBF gets spellstutter + riptide lab going and then goes on to win easily. It doesnt surprise me that this red deck owns zoo however, which i think will serve to keep it in check at PTQs. This season is shaping up to be quite fun! Also, im Peter Crim who top 8d the Memphis Worlds PTQ with Bubble Hulk. Go Cavs.
I didnt mean to sound big headed there or anything, im just putting out there that i have done a lot of research and testing in this format, which i like to think adds an air of credibility to my posts. Please feel free to correct me at any time!
On Jitte as a threat to this deck, I think Jitte is bad no matter what as long as your opponent can play and equip creatures. Each burn spell that takes down a creature is basically a win for almost any deck you’re playing against — basically, anything that gains life or virtually gains life (by deflecting burn) pushes the game into the later-game, when the red deck is hoping to keep topdecking worthwhile threats, but the opponent is likely to have some kind of card advantage online.
From observing matches online, it seems like Sulfuric Vortex is critical for beating long-game decks, since, for a burn deck, it’s virtual card advantage (like Jitte counters).
Flores, I was just reading the list and I think I might have double, triple, and even quadruple checked the list and I still seem to be missing 4 cards on the MD. Might want to correct that. ^_^;
I would like to see the Fairies matchup. Both Mono-Blue and U/B. I would think Red has good game as it can wait till EOT to play its spells negating some of Blues advantage. I know John did well with it. Was wondering what he lost to or what the worse matchups were (Tier 1 decks). Zoo with Finks out of the sideboard can be a bit more problematic, but they do have to draw them and hopefully you have the Vortex in play
Sideboard strategies? I am guessing Pillars came in for ??? Spark Elementals ???.
22 land for PTQ build?
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