Lightning Stormkin MTG Card

Flying and Flash abilities enable aggressive play and evasion, making Stormkin a tactical choice for swift damage. Stormkin’s Element Wizard synergy can unlock mana acceleration, amplifying deck performance and resource access. Despite its strengths, commitment to red and blue mana reduces deck flexibility and may impose certain limitations.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Elemental Wizard
Abilities	Flying,Haste
Released	2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2020
Set code	M20
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	213
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Rudy Siswanto

Text of card

Flying Haste (This creature can attack and as soon as it comes under your control.)

"I strike in the same place as many times as necessary."

Cards like Lightning Stormkin

Lightning Stormkin is a spell that crackles with energy and potential in Magic: The Gathering. It finds its peers among other elementals like Stormchaser Mage, which shares the prowess ability and the red-blue color identity. Both cards reward players for casting noncreature spells with increased power. Still, Lightning Stormkin offers a jolt with its inherent flying trait, allowing it to soar over ground-based defenses.

Looking to Spectral Sailor, another flying creature but within the blue range, the Lightning Stormkin takes advantage with its red splash, bringing forth the potential for direct damage. The Sailor, however, boasts the ability to draw cards, offering a different type of utility. Rounding out the comparison is the Skyknight Vanguard, which, while lacking the instant damage capability, creates a 1/1 flyer with each attack. It prompts a broader strategic presence but doesn’t pack the immediate punch that Lightning Stormkin provides.

Ultimately, each of these cards fulfills a niche in your arsenal, but Lightning Stormkin blazes a unique trail with its blend of agility and shock value, ensuring it stands out for its aggressive and aerial edges in the game.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lightning Stormkin is a valuable addition to decks looking for a blend of aggression and utility. This card’s capacity for flying over the battlefield allows you to press for damage while evading many common blockers, potentially drawing out resources from your opponent as they try to address the aerial threat.

Resource Acceleration: As an Elemental Wizard, the Stormkin can synergize with other cards that benefit from these creature types, potentially unlocking rapid mana generation or cost reduction effects. This interplay can significantly accelerate your deck’s performance and resource availability.

Instant Speed: Lightning Stormkin’s Flash ability means it can be cast at instant speed, providing strategic flexibility. You can keep mana open for other interactions or threats and deploy Stormkin at the end of your opponent’s turn. This surprise factor can give you the upper edge, especially in scenarios where your opponent is unprepared for a sudden flyer on the board.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Lightning Stormkin can offer a quick boost in both offense and defense, players need to be mindful of its cost beyond mana. Holding this card in a hand waiting for the optimal moment to cast it can sometimes backfire, especially in game states where resource maximization is pivotal. Not having an immediate impact without pairing it with other spells can be a notable disadvantage.

Specific Mana Cost: As a blue and red card, Lightning Stormkin requires a commitment to both colors of mana which can impact deck flexibility. Players running multi-colored decks might find integrating this card challenging if not supported by an appropriate mana base. This specific mana color requirement diminishes its versatility and restricts it to certain types of decks, potentially leaving you with an uncastable card in hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its abilities, the mana cost of Lightning Stormkin can be a bit steep. Often players have to weigh the costs against the benefits of summoning a two-power creature in the mid-game. There’s a plethora of alternatives in MTG that might bring more to the table for the same or lower mana investment, making the Stormkin a less tempting option for those seeking maximum efficiency.

Reasons to Include Lightning Stormkin in Your Collection

Versatility: Lightning Stormkin offers a dynamic mix of abilities with its flying and haste features, allowing it to swiftly pressure opponents across various decks, including tempo and aggro builds.

Combo Potential: This card excels in synergizing with spells that benefit from dealing instant damage or that trigger when casting a spell with a Wizard or Elemental, enhancing both tribal and spell-slinger deck strategies.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta often cycles through periods where small, quick creatures can dominate, Lightning Stormkin can be a significant threat, capable of outpacing more cumbersome setups and fitting right into the current pace of fast-paced games.

How to beat

Lightning Stormkin presents a swift threat on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering due to its combination of flying and haste. This allows it to dodge sorcery-speed removal and start dealing damage right from the moment it hits the battlefield. To counter this card, it is essential to have instant-speed removal at your disposal. Options such as Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt give you the flexibility to answer Lightning Stormkin before it can begin to whittle down your life total.

Moreover, incorporating flying blockers into your deck can be an effective strategy. Creatures with reach or those that can be flashed in, such as Spectral Sailor, can serve as a surprise defense, neutralizing the relatively fragile Stormkin. Lastly, it’s important to sequence your plays carefully, keeping mana open during your opponent’s turn to respond to the Stormkin, prioritizing its removal to minimize the aerial assault it can provide.

Understanding when to hold back and when to act swiftly is key when facing fast-paced threats like Lightning Stormkin. Through strategic deck building and judicious play, you can mitigate the danger posed by this card and maintain control over the game state.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lightning Stormkin MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Stormkin and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lightning Stormkin has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal