Lightning Prowess MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2012-05-04
Set symbol
Set name	Avacyn Restored
Set code	AVR
Number	145
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Rapoza

Key Takeaways

Enhances gameplay by providing card advantage and strategic depth due to extra draws from dealing damage.
Augments mana resources, potentially accelerating your plays when cast on creatures with tap abilities.
Instant-speed casting makes creatures more threatening and can disrupt opponents’ plans unexpectedly.

Text of card

Enchant creature Enchanted creature has haste and ": This creature deals 1 damage to target creature or player."

"Undead flesh is dry and papery. A single spark and 'poof.' No more ghoul."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Enhances your strategic depth by granting an extra draw when dealing damage to opponents. This enables you to cycle through your deck more efficiently, getting to your key spells and creatures faster.

Resource Acceleration: Lightning Prowess can augment your mana resources, as casting it on a creature with tap abilities for mana generation can turn it into a formidable ramp tool.

Instant Speed: As a card that you can cast at instant speed, it offers the flexibility to catch opponents off-guard, making your creatures more threatening even during their turn and potentially disrupting their strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Lightning Prowess demands you to discard a card, a steep price if your hand is already dwindling or if you’re holding onto key pieces of your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requirements include not just a specific color but also a mixed mana cost, which may clash with the mana curve in faster, more agile decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the abilities it grants are potentially game-changing, the investment of four mana into a single card can be risky, particularly in formats where tempo and board presence are paramount.

Reasons to Include Lightning Prowess in Your Collection

Versatility: Lightning Prowess is a highly adaptable card, seamlessly integrating into various deck archetypes. With the ability to grant haste and a tap to damage ability, it empowers players to apply pressure or execute surprise tactics irrespective of the deck’s primary strategy.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combination with creatures that benefit from tapping or dealing damage. Its potential to create infinite combos with certain cards elevates your gameplay, allowing you to capitalize on synergies within your deck to outmaneuver your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where speed can dictate the winner, Lightning Prowess’s ability to instantly activate creatures is invaluable. Especially relevant in metas filled with slower, setup-intensive decks, this card can tip the scales by providing an immediate threat that must be answered.

How to beat

Lightning Prowess is a card that can turn creatures into formidable threats in any Magic: The Gathering match. It grants not only the vital ability of haste, allowing a creature to circumvent summoning sickness, but also an extra ping of damage whenever the enchanted creature taps. This favorable combination can quickly escalate in power and become a challenge to counter. So, how do you gain the upper hand against an opponent’s creature emboldened by Lightning Prowess?

One efficient method involves dealing with the creature directly. Removal spells are the most straightforward solution to eliminate the threat immediately. Instant-speed removal, like Doom Blade or Path to Exile, allows you to respond on your opponent’s turn. Alternatively, you could also employ board wipes such as Wrath of God to clear multiple threats at once. Enchantment removal can be equally effective. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant specifically target cards like Lightning Prowess, negating the accrued advantage without having to tackle the creature itself.

Defense measures, like deploying creatures with reach or flying, can intercept the assault from haste-enhanced creatures. A well-timed Fog can also provide a critical turn of respite from an incoming onslaught. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of Lightning Prowess, you can formulate a strategy to neutralize its influence on the game, maintaining control and keeping your health safe. Despite the pace it can set, adept play and awareness can ensure this MTG card doesn’t dominate the battlefield.

Cards like Lightning Prowess

Lightning Prowess is a dynamic spell that enhances creature abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to spells like Fire Whip, which also grants a creature the ability to deal damage directly. Nonetheless, Lightning Prowess offers a continuous effect, allowing the creature to tap and deal damage, potentially every turn. In contrast, Fire Whip serves a single-use purpose, albeit at a lesser mana cost.

Examining abilities close to Lightning Prowess, we come across Hermetic Study. This enchantment transforms a creature into a pinger, enabling it to deal damage to targets. However, it’s limited to one damage per activation, whereas Lightning Prowess boasts the power of the enchanted creature. Although Hermetic Study requires less mana, the potential damage output with Lightning Prowess can be far greater.

Taking account of comparatives in terms of adaptability and impact in the game, Lightning Prowess is quite the competitor. Its continuous effect, combined with the power of the enchanted creature, creates a scenario for significant game influence. It’s clear that when considering the potency of creature enchantments in Magic: The Gathering, Lightning Prowess is an illustrious option for players aiming to harness direct damage turn after turn.

Cards similar to Lightning Prowess by color, type and mana cost

Curse of Hospitality - MTG Card versions

Anax, Hardened in the Forge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lightning Prowess MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Lightning Prowess and other MTG cards: