Lightning Blast
Instant
Lightning Blast deals 4 damage to any target.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Seventh Edition
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #21894
Lightning Blast deals 4 damage to any target for four mana — functional, clean, and thoroughly outclassed. In a format where Chaos Warp, Swords to Plowshares, and even Lightning Bolt exist, Lightning Blast is the last card you should be reaching for.
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, Lightning Blast is too expensive for what it does — four mana at sorcery speed to deal 4 damage trades poorly with the 40-life total and the high-toughness creatures the format rewards. Pauper is the one context where it sees any light: the card pool is constrained enough that four damage for four mana is occasionally the best available option at common, though even there it competes with Lightning Bolt and Skred. Legacy and Vintage have no interest in Lightning Blast when one-mana options exist that do the same job or better. The card is legal nearly everywhere and relevant almost nowhere.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available for Lightning Blast at the moment, but given its competitive irrelevance, expect bulk-bin territory — well under $0.50 in any condition. It's not worth hunting down unless you're completing a collection or need a placeholder.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.