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Pojo's Magic The Gathering
Card of the Day

Daily Since November 2001!

Searing Spear
Image from Wizards.com

 Searing Spear
- M13

Reviewed April 18, 2013

Constructed: 3.00
Casual: 3.17
Limited: 4.17
Multiplayer: 3.00

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Searing Spear

The age-old question of direct damage spells-- how much damage for how much mana? Lightning Bolt has pretty much been confirmed by Wizards of the Coast to be too high-- not so high that it can't ever be reprinted, but high enough that it'll spend more time out of Standard than in. Shock is decent, but each additional point of damage opens up a whole new category of creatures the spell can kill. So you want burn spells to deal a hefty amount of damage, but you don't want to pay too much for them.

Personally, I'd like to see a one-mana sorcery that deals 3 damage instead of just adding a mana to Lightning Bolt. I'd also like to see some burn spells concepted as something other than fire or lightning dealing the damage-- maybe a telekinetic spiked fist, or a goblin's skull full of centipedes, or a throwing axe that's been magically enhanced to be better for throwing? I'd also like an invitation to the Pro Tour, but I doubt Wizards of the Coast is going to give me any of those things...

Constructed- 2.5
Casual- 3
Limited- 4
Multiplayer- 2.5

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Searing Spear
 
This is the kind of card that people don't usually talk about that much; it just does its job efficiently and quietly, and doesn't get too much of the limelight. Despite the fact that Mark Rosewater is fond of saying that "Wizards can't design for the eternal crowd," cards like this are inevitably compared to their predecessors, and this is one that unfortunately doesn't quite reach the spectacular heights of its ancestors (even name-wise, I find Incinerate to be much more resonant). Nonetheless, three damage for two mana is efficient, and it fills an important role in Standard and M13 limited.
 
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Searing Spear which is a two mana Red instant that deals three damage to target creature or player. This is a solid and playable card, not Lightning Bolt of course, but one that will continue to be played in decks in the current Standard formats.

For Limited this is effective and cheap removal that is an automatic inclusion for decks using Red mana in Sealed and at least worth considering splashing the color to add if other options aren't available. For Booster this is a strong second or third choice and even first pick with a weak rare.

Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 4.5
Multiplayer: 3.5


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