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Magic (The Gathering) => Discussion => Topic started by: Chargingswadger on July 01, 2014, 05:08:01 PM

Title: Chain lightning
Post by: Chargingswadger on July 01, 2014, 05:08:01 PM
Why is {chain lightning} so damn expensive?
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Falcon182 on July 01, 2014, 05:08:42 PM
Quote from: Chargingswadger on July 01, 2014, 05:08:01 PM
Why is {chain lightning} so damn expensive?

Everything is relative...  {Bazaar of Baghdad}.
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Mattao19 on July 01, 2014, 05:11:42 PM
Chain is a Legacy Bolt card also Bazaar is arguably the best land in the game so there's that for why Bazaar is expensive!!
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Falcon182 on July 01, 2014, 05:14:56 PM
Quote from: Mattao19 on July 01, 2014, 05:11:42 PM
Chain is a Legacy Bolt card also Bazaar is arguably the best land in the game so there's that for why Bazaar is expensive!!

I was pointing out that $11 is relatively cheap compared to $360.

But yes, also limited in print,  {Chain Lightning} has only been printed twice, once in Legends in much lower quantities than today's cards and once in a limited run premium deck series. Desirable card + low printing = money.
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Chargingswadger on July 01, 2014, 05:30:22 PM
Got it. I just saw he price and saw that it's a strictly worse bolt for 5 times the price
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: TheRagingMage on July 01, 2014, 09:58:06 PM
Quote from: Taysby on July 01, 2014, 08:12:14 PM
not strictly worse.  If they do it, you can do it back.
But you're giving them a choice.  When your opponents have a choice, then it is almost always better for them, unless you can trick them into making the choice that is worse for them.  It's debatable whether {Lightning Bolt} is truly "strictly better," but in nearly all cases it is at least simply better, or at least the same.
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: LinkCelestrial on July 01, 2014, 11:49:05 PM
Quote from: Gleemax on July 01, 2014, 09:58:06 PM
Quote from: Taysby on July 01, 2014, 08:12:14 PM
not strictly worse.  If they do it, you can do it back.
But you're giving them a choice.  When your opponents have a choice, then it is almost always better for them, unless you can trick them into making the choice that is worse for them.  It's debatable whether it is truly "strictly better," but in nearly all cases it is at least simply better.

You're not giving them a choice if they're not playing red or don't have the mana. Plus as long as you save the mana to have the last word you're doing three more damage than they are. Besides, I love the flavour.
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Grimmykinns on July 03, 2014, 03:57:49 PM
With things like  {Stuffy Doll} it's awesome
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Silent1236 on July 03, 2014, 04:03:02 PM
Quote from: Gleemax on July 01, 2014, 09:58:06 PM
Quote from: Taysby on July 01, 2014, 08:12:14 PM
not strictly worse.  If they do it, you can do it back.
But you're giving them a choice.  When your opponents have a choice, then it is almost always better for them, unless you can trick them into making the choice that is worse for them.  It's debatable whether {Lightning Bolt} is truly "strictly better," but in nearly all cases it is at least simply better, or at least the same.

Also, bolt is an instant, chain is not.
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Remillo on July 03, 2014, 04:18:22 PM
In Burn decks, Bolt is Bolt 1-4, Chain Lightning is Bolt 5-8, {Rift Bolt} is bolt 9-12 (on a delay), and {Lava Spike} is Bolt 13-16 (that can only hit players).

It fills a roll of having a powerful Mana-to-damage ratio and costing R, but has the downside of only having been printed in a really, really old set and a special set.
Title: Re: Chain lightning
Post by: Double-O-Scotch on July 03, 2014, 05:38:10 PM
Not to mention if they do hit you back you can hit them back again if you have the mana, continuing the "chain"