Thunder Strike
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. (It deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Magic 2011
- Price
- $0.02
- EDHREC rank
- #24443
Thunder Strike gives a creature +2/+0 and first strike until end of turn — a combat trick that trades for roughly nothing in most non-rotating formats. At one mana it's cheap, but the effect is narrow enough that it rarely earns a slot over a removal spell or a permanent pump effect.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Thunder Strike is legal across Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but that breadth flatters it. In Pauper it has the best case — aggressive red decks can use it to push through a blocker or win a race — but even there it competes with Temur Battle Rage, which does more for the same cost. In Commander, Thunder Strike is essentially unplayable: single-target, single-turn pump does not scale to a four-player game where one-for-ones are liabilities. Anywhere with access to better options, it sits in the bulk box.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.02 bulk tier
At $0.02, Thunder Strike is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any common bin without looking hard. The price reflects demand accurately; there's no competitive or casual pressure that would move it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.