Thunderbolt
Instant
Choose one —
• Thunderbolt deals 3 damage to target player or planeswalker.
• Thunderbolt deals 4 damage to target creature with flying.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Premium Deck Series: Fire and Lightning
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #19593
Thunderbolt deals 3 damage to a creature or 4 damage to a player or planeswalker — a clean two-mode burn spell that punches above its one-mana cost when a planeswalker is on board. Against a table with no flying threats and no walkers, it's a worse Shock; context is everything.
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, Thunderbolt competes in a crowded slot — one-mana red removal is abundant, and the 3-damage ceiling misses most relevant creatures at a four-player table. The planeswalker mode is the reason to consider it, but dedicated red commanders that care about burn density or spell count are the only realistic homes. In Pauper, where the common-only restriction actually makes efficient burn scarce and planeswalkers absent, Thunderbolt's creature mode puts it squarely in Lightning Bolt's shadow without the flexibility. Legacy and Vintage don't want it at all — the power floor is just too low. It's legal across most formats but rarely correct in any of them.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Price data for Thunderbolt isn't available in the current index, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the latest. Given its narrow competitive application, it almost certainly sits at bulk pricing — pick it up for pennies if a specific build calls for it, but don't go hunting.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.