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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day


Image from Wizards.com

Volcanic Hammer
Ninth Edition

Reviewed December 08, 2006

Constructed: 2.875
Casual: 2.625
Limited: 3.875

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all our 
Card of the Day Reviews 


Jeff Zandi

 5 Time Pro Tour
 Veteran

Volcanic Hammer

Always useful in Ninth Edition limited events, Volcanic Hammer only rarely finds a home in constructed decks. Sorcery-speed direct damage spells only fit a small category of decks, but when you want to deal more damage than the amount of mana spent, Volcanic Hammer can be something of a bargain.

CONSTRUCTED: 3.0
CASUAL: 3.5
LIMITED: 3.5
 

BMoor

Volcanic Hammer

Ahh, the classics. 3 damage for 1R, plain and simple. Often initated, never quite duplicated, though often reprinted. And for good reason.

Constructed- 3.5
Casual- 4
Limited- 4.5
 

KC MetroGnome

Volcanic Hammer

Please raise your hand if these last three days of reviews have made you even more excited for 10th Edition and the return of Incinerate. (ME!! ME!!). I hate this card. Not that it's that bad, I guess. 3 damage for 2 mana. That's just like Incinerate, right? And Incinerate was the fixed version of Lightning Bolt. So that's passable. Oh, but it's a sorcery, and that makes me cry. Like Char, this has been something of a necessary evil at various points in its history. But it's going to be really nice when it's older brother makes its return.
In casual, see yesterdays' answer (buy lightning bolts and incinerates). In limited, play this, because it kills critters.

Constructed - 2
Casual - 1
Limited - 3+
 

Aethereal

Volcanic Hammer

These days, usually played as burn spells 13-16, as we already have the superior Rift Bolt, Char, and Lightning Helix. This is a VERY tamed down version of Lightning Bolt, as it's slower and costs more than the original. However, 3 damage for 2 mana at sorcery speed with absolutely no drawbacks is still good, and the card does what it needs to do: clears a path for your beaters. It can also end the game if they're at 3. A good card, but I'd only play it if you need the extra burn, as the aforementioned burn spells are all superior, and 12 burn spells is often enough (although, as Worlds suggests, 16 is the number to go with in a BDW deck).

In casual, play Lightning Bolt instead.

In limited, burn spells are always welcome.

Constructed - 3
Casual - 2
Limited - 4.5
 
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