It's kind of overcosted, in my opinion. You could use a Ball Lightning for 3 mana to do what this card does for 5. By the time it's worth playing over Ball Lightning or Blistering Firecat, if you're playing the kind of deck that would use this card, you've either won or you've lost, and this card won't change anything.
@applecom: In no way is this a Lightning Elemental with tramble. Lightning Elemental doesn't sac itself at end of turn.
Posted By:
RunedServitor
(1/21/2012 7:05:10 AM)
Chord of Calling only needs 1 for the X cost to bring it in since Lightning Serpent's CMC is 1; {X} costs aren't counted for effects based off CMC. Spending more than 1 on Chord of Calling's X is just wasting mana.
Besides, if you wanted to take advantage of the mana acceleration that Green has, why not use all that mana to pay for Lightning Serpent's X cost?
Posted By:
Diachronos
(9/4/2010 3:45:51 PM)
There's gotta be some card with a "throw" mechanic that lets you sac this before end of turn and get double damage out of your mana, right?
Posted By:
BrendanAdkins
(10/6/2010 5:52:32 PM)
Fling, BrendanAdkins.
Posted By:
Chamale
(11/15/2010 3:46:25 PM)
why does every one say its just another blaze? Blaze dosnt have trample, and while the opponent may get to chose were it hits, it will often hit both, which blaze cannot do. plus it deals 2 more damage than blaze would under normal circumstances. Admitently its not worth 4 in an elemental deck, but i usually run at least 2 just as a secondary finisher if they manage to survive the initial strike.
Posted By:
bijart_dauth
(12/24/2010 10:37:40 AM)
Fun with double strike, extra fun with Doubling Season.
Posted By:
PEGU
(1/9/2011 11:06:24 PM)
Awesome with some Mana accelleration on first turn...
Posted By:
Aun
(1/16/2011 2:45:55 AM)
This feels like you get a little more for you mana than you would with, say blaze... its a little smaller at it's different mana costs than some of it's counter parts (like spark elemental and ball lightning) but its versatility seems to make it a better card in most situations...
Posted By:
Anubisisking
(1/31/2011 2:32:05 PM)
The flexibility makes up for it not being as good as ball lightning or blistering firecat at 3 CMC and 4 CMC. It's almost a steal seeing as it could be either of those or a lot of other things.
Posted By:
kajillion
(7/4/2011 12:42:06 AM)
Considerably one the worst cards to play with Doran, the Siege Tower.
This is great in EDH as well as any burn deck, because although Lightning Elemental costs less, and Hellspark Elemental has unearth, they have a set amount of damage, while Lightning serpent can change it's power.
As well, it doesn't have any of that idiocy that Consume Spirit has, so you could use it in any deck. In fact, I am currently playing it in a 5-colour EDH deck now.
Posted By:
Ferlord
(8/27/2011 7:54:23 PM)