Puncture Bolt
Instant
Puncture Bolt deals 1 damage to target creature. Put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Shadowmoor
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #22487
Puncture Bolt puts a -1/-1 counter on any target creature and deals 1 damage to it — a combination that matters in decks that care about counters, not just a slow burn. Two mana at instant speed is a fair rate, but outside dedicated -1/-1 synergy shells, it's too narrow to compete.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card whenever a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, and Puncture Bolt both places that counter and nudges the creature closer to death — doing double duty in a single spell. At a 16% inclusion rate across nearly 2,700 decks, it's a reliable slot filler for the engine.
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, Puncture Bolt is a niche inclusion — you run it in The Scorpion God or Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons shells where placing a -1/-1 counter is itself card advantage or creates a token, not as general removal. In Pauper, where the card pool is tighter and -1/-1 counter synergies like Devoted Druid exist, it has a more credible claim to a slot. Legacy and Vintage are non-starters — the competition at two mana for interaction is simply too steep. Puncture Bolt is a synergy card masquerading as removal, and it should only enter a list where that distinction pays off.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Puncture Bolt is deep bulk — you'll find it in a common box long before you need to order it. Bulk commons rarely appreciate, so grab it for the synergy, not the collection value.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- The Scorpion God
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.