Price$0.80 – $623.15
Buy on TCGplayerLightning Bolt
Instant
LegalRemovalRank #155
Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.
Why is this card good?
Lightning Bolt is the gold standard of efficient red removal — one mana for 3 damage to anything, instant speed, no restrictions. In a format defined by big mana and bigger threats, that flexibility is exactly why it stays relevant.
The 3 damage doesn't kill most commanders, but Bolt isn't really a creature-removal card in EDH. Its value is reach and tempo: finishing opponents in aggressive red decks, killing problematic low-toughness utility creatures (mana dorks, Dockside Extortionist, Esper Sentinel, hatebears), and protecting your board by burning blockers or attackers. It also pings planeswalkers and, crucially, can go to the dome as a finisher in burn or storm-adjacent builds.
Best in: aggressive/spellslinger red decks, low-curve cEDH lists, and any deck wanting cheap interaction against fast combos and mana acceleration.
Skip it if: your deck is grindy, multiplayer-control-oriented, or full of fat creatures — 3 damage rarely matters there, and you'd prefer unconditional removal like Swords or Chaos Warp.
Related cards
Lightning Strike
3 damage to any target for one more mana.
Chain Lightning
Sorcery-speed 3 damage for one red mana.
Fireblast
Free 4 damage burn by sacrificing Mountains.
Skewer the Critics
3 damage with spectacle for one mana.
Lava Spike
Cheap burn dealing 3 to a player.
Galvanic Blast
Cheap instant dealing up to 4 with metalcraft.
Lightning Helix
3 damage plus lifegain at instant speed.
Play with Fire
Bolt-like 2 damage with scry upside.
Printings (61)
Show all 61 printingsShow fewer
Played by these commanders
Krenko, Mob Boss100% of 1
Combos (4)
- Firemind's Foresight + Lightning Bolt + Reset + Reiterate
→ Infinite colored mana, Infinite damage, Infinite magecraft triggers
- Emeritus of Conflict // Lightning Bolt + Displacer Kitten + Biblioplex Tomekeeper + Storm-Kiln Artist
→ Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB, Infinite damage
- Tree of Perdition + Hidetsugu's Second Rite + Lightning Bolt
→ Infinite lifeloss for target opponent, Target opponent loses the game
- Emeritus of Conflict // Lightning Bolt + Displacer Kitten + Biblioplex Tomekeeper + Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty
→ Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB, Infinite damage