For Challenge # 071

It seems the right cost for Lightning Bolt is somewhere between and . So how about this, for a cost of one-and-a-half red?

Obviously the "give mana back" bit evokes the free spells like Rewind that, unsurprisingly, turned out to be broken. But maybe one mana isn't so bad...?

And the two abilities are completely separate design-wise, but they both have a reason to be on the card.

This is a really good idea, actually. A lot of players would see this and say "Oh, it's the same thing as a Lightning Bolt" but it won't work in crunch time, when you only have one land untapped during your opponent's turn. Those scenarios should be rare, but it's enough of a difference to make it not-a-bolt.

Yes, I like this a lot.

Actually, can I nick this? Arcunda could use a burn spell at about this point that isn't a reprint...

So long as I can convince myself it's common, that is.

Oh yes, please do, I'm glad to see it finding a home somewhere! You may want to change the name: I quite like it, but it suggests it gives you a mana for exiling it from hand, not from playing it.

Powerwise, it certainly can be common (assuming there's no broken combo). I bumped it to uncommon because it was a bit less elegant than shock or lightning bolt; I'm not sure if wizards would normally print it at common, but it hopefully wouldn't cause any problems.

Well, Hill Giant:Coal Stoker::Lightning Bolt:Ogre Spirit Spear. I'm pretty sure common can hack it.

Oh yeah, good comparison.