Voltage Surge
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice an artifact.
Voltage Surge deals 2 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If this spell's additional cost was paid, Voltage Surge deals 4 damage instead.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #18940
Voltage Surge deals 2 damage for one mana, or 4 damage if you sacrifice an artifact — that ceiling is what separates it from every other red one-drop burn spell. In artifact-heavy Commander shells, it routinely punches above its weight class as a removal spell that also doubles as a finisher.
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 |
In Commander, Voltage Surge earns its slot in artifact-matters decks where the sacrifice cost is a feature, not a tax — turning a spent mana rock or a token into 4 damage that can pick off a planeswalker or a small commander. In Pauper it competes seriously, where the artifact synergy is easier to trigger and the common card pool makes unconditional two-damage burn scarce enough that the upside matters. Legacy and Vintage have enough broken one-mana interaction that Voltage Surge doesn't make the cut outside niche artifact combo shells. Modern and Pioneer have better-supported burn options, so it stays on the bench in those formats unless you're specifically building around sacrificing artifacts.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Voltage Surge is deep bulk — you're picking this out of a dollar bin or grabbing a playset for pocket change. Bulk commons at this price point don't appreciate, but they don't need to; you're running Voltage Surge because it's the right card for the slot, not because of any financial upside.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.