Look at Legacy if you want to see how important bolt is. Bolt is only used as "burn" in burn decks, or very aggressive R/(x) decks. Many decks treat bolt as removal; there are just some creatures you have to kill on site, or to stop a combo. The added benefit of being able to hit the player is what makes bolt probably the most iconic red spell in MTG.
Yes, its weaker in Modern than Legacy, but bolt is still extremely efficient and flexible; 2 things any Modern deck will value highly.
Look at Legacy if you want to see how important bolt is. Bolt is only used as "burn" in burn decks, or very aggressive R/(x) decks. Many decks treat bolt as removal; there are just some creatures you have to kill on site, or to stop a combo. The added benefit of being able to hit the player is what makes bolt probably the most iconic red spell in MTG.
Yes, its weaker in Modern than Legacy, but bolt is still extremely efficient and flexible; 2 things any Modern deck will value highly.
I mean, realistically, bolt is the aggressive path/push. Thus more aggressive decks will use it. Decks that want to grind or go long have less of a reason.
I would say that Bolt is a very good removal spell, but not great anymore. But it is generally better than the others because it can down a planeswalker and it can end the game, neither of which can be done by Path or Push. I look at it like Brutality or something the value comes from the flexibility more than being the best at a single job
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Project Booster Fun makes it less fun to open a booster.
Of the top 10 creatures in Modern currently, Bolt only profitably kills one of them (Noble Hierarch). The rest either don't die to Bolt or are REALLY bad targets that 2-for-1 you anyway.
With Grixis DS not really needing bolt or terminate due to fatal push, will we see any sultai DS lists? Instead of bolt, terminate, and khologhan's command it could run tarmogoyf, traverse, abrupt decay, and maelstrom pulse.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Modern
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Yes, its weaker in Modern than Legacy, but bolt is still extremely efficient and flexible; 2 things any Modern deck will value highly.
WBG Karador GBW
R Daretti R
RG Omnath GR
WRG Modern Burn GRW
WB Modern Tokens BW
DCI Rules Advisor as of 5/18/2015
I mean, realistically, bolt is the aggressive path/push. Thus more aggressive decks will use it. Decks that want to grind or go long have less of a reason.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
JundBGR
RW Blood MoonRW
Pauper
Delver U
Elves G
Control B
Commander
Edgar Markov BRW
Captain Sisay GW
Niv-Mizzet, Parun UR
Tymna and Ravos WB