Lightning Runner
Creature — Human Warrior
Double strike, haste
Whenever this creature attacks, you get 
(two energy counters), then you may pay eight . If you pay, untap all creatures you control, and after this phase, there is an additional combat phase.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Aether Revolt
- Price
- $0.28
- EDHREC rank
- #4609
Lightning Runner enters with haste, swings immediately, and if you have enough energy, untaps every creature you control — turning a single attacker into a full second combat's worth of pressure. The cost is real: six mana is a lot to ask, and the energy requirement means you're building around it, not just slotting it in. In Satya, Aetherflux Genius decks, that build-around is already happening, which is exactly why Satya, Aetherflux Genius runs it in over 80% of lists.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Satya, Aetherflux Genius
Satya, Aetherflux Genius generates energy on every attack with a token, and Lightning Runner turns that stockpile into a full-table untap — the two cards form a self-sustaining engine where Satya, Aetherflux Genius keeps feeding Runner the energy it needs to fire again.
Saheeli, Radiant Creator
Saheeli, Radiant Creator can copy artifacts and creatures to flood the board, and Lightning Runner's mass untap means those copies get to swing twice — Saheeli, Radiant Creator provides the tokens while Lightning Runner provides the second combat.
Liberty Prime, Recharged
Liberty Prime, Recharged cares about artifacts and energy, and Lightning Runner slots cleanly into that energy economy; the mass untap is especially punishing when Liberty Prime, Recharged has already put a massive threat into play.
Rionya, Fire Dancer
Rionya, Fire Dancer makes copies at the beginning of combat, and Lightning Runner's untap trigger means all those copies can attack again — Rionya, Fire Dancer sets up the wide board and Lightning Runner converts it into lethal damage.
Dr. Madison Li
Dr. Madison Li runs an energy-heavy game plan, and Lightning Runner is a reliable payoff that turns accumulated energy into board-wide aggression rather than just incremental value.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Lightning Runner is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but in practice it's a Commander card almost exclusively. In competitive non-rotating formats, six mana for a creature that requires a dedicated energy subtheme is too slow and too narrow — Modern and Pioneer have faster, more resilient ways to generate extra combats. Commander is where Lightning Runner earns its slot: the format's longer games give you time to build an energy base, the political overhead of untapping every creature is enormous, and the combo density in energy-focused decks makes the six-mana ask reasonable. Outside of niche energy brews in non-Commander formats, don't expect to see it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Satya, Aetherflux GeniusLightning Runner
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite combat phases; Infinite creature tokens; Infinite untap of creatures you control; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite energy counters
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Lightning RunnerStone Idol Generator
Infinite combat phases; Infinite energy counters; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Lightning RunnerAetherwind Basker
Infinite combat phases; Infinite energy counters; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Saheeli, Radiant CreatorLightning RunnerAetherwind Basker
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite combat phases; Infinite creature tokens with haste; Infinite untap of creatures you control; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite energy counters
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Saheeli, Radiant CreatorLightning RunnerPeema Aether-Seer
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite combat phases; Infinite creature tokens with haste; Infinite untap of creatures you control; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite energy counters
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.28 bulk tier
At $0.28, Lightning Runner is bulk in every sense — high demand hasn't pushed the price because it sees almost no play outside Commander energy builds. It's a safe pickup at this price; the card does something unique enough that it's unlikely to crater further, but don't expect it to spike without a new energy commander pulling it into the spotlight.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Satya, Aetherflux Genius
- Saheeli, Radiant Creator
- Liberty Prime, Recharged
- Rionya, Fire Dancer
- Dr. Madison Li
- Stone Idol Generator
- Aetherwind Basker
- Peema Aether-Seer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.