Lightning Strike is one of the game’s oldest and most interesting spells. Unlike other attacks, it has no travel time, so it deals damage the moment the lightning bolt appears. This unique advantage is balanced by having a visible charge-up phase, giving the other player time to react.

When Wands launched, it was possible to constantly be initiating and canceling Lightning Strike’s charge, which would always keep your opponent playing defense. Additionally, the spell’s visual effects provided no clear way of telling how far along the charge was. So Lightning users could be in a nearly constant state of charging, always keeping their opponent on their heels. This made Lightning one of the game’s most powerful spells, and it was quite frustrating to play again.

The mana cost of Lightning was increased in an attempt to balance the spell, but that didn’t solve the core problem. Lightning was almost impossible to balance because of its free fake-out ability. The simplest fix for this would have been making the charge noncancellable, but that would have robbed Lightning of its most interesting and strategic component. So instead, an additional mana cost was added to initiating a charge. Now, you can still bluff a Lightning Strike, but it won’t be free! The key to using this spell effectively is learning when to fake and when to fire.