Lightning-Core Excavator MTG Card


Lightning-Core Excavator - Jumpstart
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Golem
Released2020-07-17
Set symbol
Set nameJumpstart
Set codeJMP
Power 0
Toughness 3
Number32
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byCristi Balanescu

Key Takeaways

  1. Lightning-Core Excavator offers card advantage and resource acceleration, transforming lands into valuable assets.
  2. Ability activation at instant speed allows for tactical plays, but the discard requirement could set players back.
  3. Inclusion enriches decks with versatility, combo potential, and meta relevance, amidst some mana cost considerations.

Text of card

, , Sacrifice Lightning-Core Excavator: It deals 3 damage to any target.

"That's the third time this month it's exploded on site. Maybe we should switch to something a little less defective." —Kerrin, archaeologist


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lightning-Core Excavator can potentially enable card advantage in the late game. If you have numerous lands on the battlefield, the artifact’s ability to sacrifice a land and draw a card can help churn through your deck to find vital spells or pieces, keeping your hand refreshed with options.

Resource Acceleration: When playing Lightning-Core Excavator, you can step up your mana game. By sacing a land, not only do you draw a card, but you also get an Elemental creature token. If you’re running cards with land recursion, this can become a substantial resource acceleration strategy, turning every land into a potential threat and card draw engine.

Instant Speed: The power of Lightning-Core Excavator shines at instant speed. You can choose the most opportune moment to sacrifice a land and trigger its ability, whether that’s to avoid board wipes by waiting until the end of your opponent’s turn, or in response to a land destruction spell to extract value before the land goes to the graveyard.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When deploying the Lightning-Core Excavator, players must discard a card, which can sometimes become a steep price to pay. Particularly in fast-paced games, losing hand advantage could put you at a strategic setback. This requirement can be especially taxing if you’re already behind and need every card to make a comeback.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a targeted mana composition, including red mana, to cast. This requirement can pose a deck-building constraint, potentially limiting its inclusion to red-dominated, or at least red-friendly, deck builds. Players running multicolor decks without a strong red base may find it difficult to make room for this card.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Entering the battlefield with a mana cost that’s on the higher end for its effects, the Lightning-Core Excavator might not always equate to the most mana-efficient play. There are alternatives in the pool of MTG cards that could offer similar benefits without such a heavy investment, leaving some players to opt for lower-cost cards that could fit more seamlessly into their mana curve.


Reasons to Include Lightning-Core Excavator in Your Collection

Versatility: The Lightning-Core Excavator is a flexible addition to numerous deck archetypes, particularly those that need repeated land destruction or artifact synergy.

Combo Potential: This card has the inherent ability to play well with landfall strategies or any setup looking to capitalize on recurring effects, amplifying your overall game plan.

Meta-Relevance: Considering a meta that favors long games and heavy land-based strategies, including this excavator could disrupt your opponents’ plans and give you a tactical edge.


How to beat

The Lightning-Core Excavator introduces an intriguing dynamic on the battlefield. This artifact creature provides a source of recurring damage, which can be a thorn in the side of many opponents. Tackling this card requires strategic planning as its ability to ping the opponent every turn can add up quickly.

One effective method to counter this creature is through the use of instant-speed removal spells that can take it out before it racks up too much value. Spells like Naturalize or Disenchant are perfect examples, offering an affordable and swift response to the Excavator’s presence. Board wipes, such as Wrath of God, also serve as a silver bullet, clearing the field of the Excavator along with any other threats.

Another angle of attack is to limit the Excavator’s impact by focusing on life gain strategies. By increasing your life total, the incremental damage from the Excavator becomes less significant. Cards like Authority of the Consuls or life-gain spells such as Revitalize can help keep your health out of the danger zone, effectively blunting the Excavator’s edge and allowing you to stay in the game longer.

In essence, the key to triumph over the Lightning-Core Excavator lies in swift removal, strategic board control, and mitigating its damage through life gain measures. By adapting your play and incorporating these tactics, the Excavator becomes a manageable obstacle on your path to victory.


Cards like Lightning-Core Excavator

The Lightning-Core Excavator card brings its unique flair to the realm of artifact creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its kinship is seen with fellow artifact creatures such as Scrapyard Recombiner. Both share the essential trait of originating from noncreature artifacts and possess a utility beyond just a block or attack. What distinguishes Lightning-Core Excavator is its ability to make those crucial land drops more consistent, which can be a game changer in the long run.

Similarly, if you compare it to Solemn Simulacrum, known affectionately among players as “Sad Robot,” there’s a marked resemblance in their utility. Both cards offer a way to access additional land, however, the Lightning-Core Excavator does this at a repeatable rate, albeit conditionally. Meanwhile, Solemn Simulacrum provides an additional bonus of drawing a card upon its departure from the field.

Another comparable card is Burnished Hart. While it also assists players in ramping up their mana base, the Excavator outshines it in terms of initial cost-efficiency, although Burnished Hart doesn’t carry the same conditional deployment. Each of these artifact creatures provides strategic value in its own right, but Lightning-Core Excavator stands out for those crafting a deck with a keen focus on repeated land play.

Scrapyard Recombiner - MTG Card versions
Solemn Simulacrum - MTG Card versions
Burnished Hart - MTG Card versions
Scrapyard Recombiner - Modern Horizons (MH1)
Solemn Simulacrum - Mirrodin (MRD)
Burnished Hart - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Lightning-Core Excavator by color, type and mana cost

Glasses of Urza - MTG Card versions
Wooden Sphere - MTG Card versions
Sol Ring - MTG Card versions
Iron Star - MTG Card versions
Black Vise - MTG Card versions
Urza's Chalice - MTG Card versions
Ivory Cup - MTG Card versions
Brass Man - MTG Card versions
Mana Vault - MTG Card versions
Soul Net - MTG Card versions
The Rack - MTG Card versions
Feldon's Cane - MTG Card versions
Throne of Bone - MTG Card versions
Meekstone - MTG Card versions
Thran Foundry - MTG Card versions
Cursed Scroll - MTG Card versions
Candelabra of Tawnos - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Dreadnought - MTG Card versions
Signal Pest - MTG Card versions
Viridian Longbow - MTG Card versions
Glasses of Urza - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Wooden Sphere - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Sol Ring - The Brothers' War Commander (BRC)
Iron Star - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Black Vise - Revised Edition (3ED)
Urza's Chalice - Masters Edition (ME1)
Ivory Cup - Revised Edition (3ED)
Brass Man - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Mana Vault - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Soul Net - Fifth Edition (5ED)
The Rack - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Feldon's Cane - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Throne of Bone - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Meekstone - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Thran Foundry - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Cursed Scroll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Candelabra of Tawnos - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Phyrexian Dreadnought - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Signal Pest - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Viridian Longbow - Mirrodin (MRD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lightning-Core Excavator MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart, 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-Core Excavator and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lightning-Core Excavator has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
GladiatorLegal
TimelessLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks