Electrostatic Bolt
Instant
Electrostatic Bolt deals 2 damage to target creature. If it's an artifact creature, Electrostatic Bolt deals 4 damage to it instead.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Mirrodin
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #23425
Electrostatic Bolt deals 2 damage to any target for one red mana — instant speed, no conditions, no setup. It's floor-level removal, and at one mana it earns its slot in aggressive and spell-count-matters shells.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Electrostatic Bolt competes in a crowded field of one-mana red spells, and 2 damage rarely kills a commander with 4+ toughness — its ceiling is picking off mana dorks or planeswalker activations. Pauper is where Electrostatic Bolt actually matters: the format's creature base is fragile enough that 2 damage at instant speed for one mana is a clean two-for-one threat in burn and tempo decks. In Legacy and Vintage it's outclassed by Lightning Bolt at every angle and won't see play. Modern has better options at the same price point, so it doesn't make cuts there either.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Electrostatic Bolt is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard and shipping, not the card itself. Bulk commons don't appreciate, so grab a copy when you need one and don't think twice about it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.