The Rundown- Burn and Utility
Jeremy Pickett (aka "Slighbrarian")
This is the second installment of my rundown for all the viable Sligh cards in T2 as of November 1st. You can view my first article on the creatures here.
1cc and Xcc:
Shock- A nice one mana spell for Sligh. It's the toned down Lightning Bolt. Firebolt seems to make this not played as much now. The advantage of Shock is it's an instant. Firebolt- Same as above xcept this is a Sorcery, which limits it's usefulness. However, it becomes superior to Shock as it's recursive. Assault- It's the same as Firebolt xcept it isn't recursive. Blaze- Mainly a finisher orbig critter killer, it's easy to get but Ghitu Fire is superior. Ghitu Fire- The reason this is superior to Blaze is it's ability to become an instant for 2 extra mana. Strafe- This card's only drawback was not being able to work in the mirror, other then that it was good until Blazing Salvo. Blazing Salvo- Far superior to Strafe. If the opponent doesn't want his critter killed he pays the price of 5 damage. Illuminate- I like this actually. It works basically he same as blaze and Ghitu Fire towards critters, but if you can afford the three mana kicker then it's a potential finisher. Too bad it's not an instant. Earthquake- Direct damage and a potential board clearer all in one. Need more be said? Overload- Yes this is an oddity on the list, but if you look at the tournament quality artifact's( Static Orb, Diamonds, Chromatic Sphere) this becomes good, as the only artifacts really played are at 2 or less.
2cc:
Volcanic Hammer- The toned down Incinerate basically. A sorcery limiting it's effectiveness, but it's still really good. Three damage for two mana is not something you find everyday. Scorching Lava- Mainly only used if the metagame is full of regenerators. But it's also a descent burn spell. Flame Burst- Ah remember Kindle? Well this is plain better. Instead of only your graveyard pumping it, your opponents does too. If both you and your opponent are playing these, look out, as one of these can potentially become two mana for 9 damage. Fire- This is really good. It's card advantage in the right situations with it's ability to split the damage. Shatter- It's simply Red's answer to any artifact, but currently Overload is better. Breath of Darigaaz- Same as Earthquake only this is limited to 4. Pyroclasm- A cheap way to fend of a weenie horde. Lightning Dart- This wouldn't be my first choice, but it does kill a Serra and Finkel for two mana. Maniacal Rage- If bounce isn't around why not? It does make your Raging goblins scary. Molten Influence- It's a good card but Mages' Contest is superior. I know some of you don't like for me to say that, but Cop:Red eats this. I'd rather pay one more mana and get passed CoP personally. Disorder- Red's cure for the WW horde. Also serves as direct damage. Lava Blister- It's extremely good in the current environment. It's almost always a two mana Stone Rain. You can ocassionally get the punisher. Either way it's game as Sligh gobbles down land screwed decks.
3cc:
Urza's Rage- Yes Jay I know it's horrible, and I agree. But with the metagame being mostly control, it becomes a Sligh card. If you don't have the money for these, don't sweat it as it's not a must have. Pillage- Superior to Stone Rain and also Red's counterpart to Disenchant. It's versatility makes it a utility whereas, Stone Rain is only lands. Mages' Contest- They are better than Molten Influence IMO. These get around CoP:Red. And you'll almost always win with this.
4cc:
Magma Burst- The only burn spell that can possibly work in Sligh at four mana. Mainly because of it's ability to hit two targets at instant speed. Boil- If you can catch the Blue Mage tapped out, this is great. It's an instant after all.
If I left any out this time, they probably wouldn't make it anyways.
