The extra damage is the difference between it 2-for-1-ing almost every time it's played and 2-for-1-ing once in a great while. In addition to being able to kill X/3 targets, creating the rare 3-for-1 blowout, token sweeping, additional 'walker damage and other upsides you get from it. The Arc Lightning variants are just so much more consistent at being value spells, rather than Forked Bolt which is a sorcery-speed Shock/Shower of Sparks most of the time.
It's a fine burn spell, but it's no Arc Lightning, and I think it's an easy card to pass on until the cube gets to a pretty significant size.
So if you're running all four above it and want another one mana burn spell, there you go. Looks like wtwlf runs those four at 540, so I could definitely see including this at 630 or 720, but not really below.
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Anyone want to convince me that this is the best shock variant after Burst Lightning
Could argue it's better since Forked Lightning is really strong vs a lot of matchups, dividable burn is VERY underrated, IMO. Here's how the 1 cmc burn spells stack up in my 3-0 archive (198 drafts since release of NEO), Forked Bolt is tied as the most represented 1-cmc burn spell with Lightning Bolt itself.
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It's a fine burn spell, but it's no Arc Lightning, and I think it's an easy card to pass on until the cube gets to a pretty significant size.
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Staff1) Lightning Bolt (duh)
2) Chain Lightning (also pretty duh)
3) Burst Lightning (best of the strictly-better Shocks due to flexibility and the ability to deal 4)
4) Firebolt (can deal 4 total, can 2-for-1)
5) Forked Bolt
So if you're running all four above it and want another one mana burn spell, there you go. Looks like wtwlf runs those four at 540, so I could definitely see including this at 630 or 720, but not really below.
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StaffCould argue it's better since Forked Lightning is really strong vs a lot of matchups, dividable burn is VERY underrated, IMO. Here's how the 1 cmc burn spells stack up in my 3-0 archive (198 drafts since release of NEO), Forked Bolt is tied as the most represented 1-cmc burn spell with Lightning Bolt itself.
Lightning Bolt: 17
Forked Bolt: 17
Firebolt: 15
Chain Lightning: 13
Burst Lightning: 12
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Yah I'm looking to improve the red on green matchups, so far its been abysmal.