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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day

Ravnica: City of Guilds
Image from Wizards.com
 

Galvanic Arc
Ravnica


Reviewed September 28, 2005

Constructed: 2.37
Casual: 2.75
Limited: 3.75

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

Galvanic Arc
This card is one of five common creature enchantments that give you a powerful secondary effect to go with a relatively benign "primary" effect.
Believe me, nobody playing Galvanic Arc cares that this card is a permanent that actually gives their creature first strike. A three casting cost card that deals three damage to a creature or player is good enough for most people, in limited play. However, if you play Galvanic Arc and the creature you are playing it on is destroyed in response, your Galvanic Arc will be countered (with no legal target) and you will have been effectively two-for-one'd. So, while you have to be careful with this card, it is still an important card for limited play. Probably a little worse than Volcanic Hammer (not in this set) in my opinion. Spending a card to give a creature first strike has never been a particularly good idea, and it still isn't.
The only way this card is any good in constructed is in combo decks built around the idea of lots of enchantments in one way or another.
CONSTRUCTED: 2.5
CASUAL: 3.0
LIMITED: 3.5
 


DeQuan
Watson

* Game Store Owner

Galvanic Arc -

I'm generally amused by this card. There have been several cards over the years that do three damage for three mana. This does the same thing. It does come with a bonus though. You get to add the first strike ability to a creature. There are drawbacks though. You obviously need a creature in play. And it doesn't happen at instant speed like other burn spells. I like it though. I especially like it in limited play.

Constructed: 2
Casual: 2
Limited: 4
 

Paul Hagan

Galvanic Arc --

There have been very few Enchantment - Aura cards that I have used with success over the years. Rancor, Armadillo Cloak, Elephant Guide, etc. have all done some good, but they all had the ability to swing the game heavily in your favor. I don't really see Galvanic Arc doing that. The burn is a nice addition, but would you play an Enchantment - Aura that just gave first strike? Neither would I.

For limited play, unfortunately, removal is removal, and removal tends to be a huge boon to winning games. Go ahead and sneak Galvanic Arc into your limited deck, but at least be mildly embarrassed by it.

Constructed Rating: 2.0
Casual Rating: 2.0
Limited Rating: 3.0

 


Christine
Gerhardt

Galvanic Arc

This is a great card in limited. I have splashed a four color deck with the additional red just to play a couple copies of Arc. It's just too good. You get an okay ability of first strike, but the real reason you play it is the 3 damage you do to some creature, or maybe a player. Worst comes to worse, you can always enchant your opponent's creature as you kill it if you are out of creatures for some reason. I've found that 3 damage kills most things in this set.

Constructed - 3
Casual - 4
Limited - 4.5
 
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