Lightning Bolt

Why collectors notice it

Because it is reprinted often, it is one of the easiest ways to start an Alpha-era collection: you can find many versions in many card frames and art styles.

It is where the entire genre started. Read more about Limited Edition Alpha.

A closer look

Reading this card

The type line reads Instant, and the card is Red. Those two words tell you most of what you need. Instant means you can cast it at almost any time, not only during your own main phase. Red is the color of speed and direct damage, so a spell that hits for a small amount fits right in.

The featured print is a Common from Alpha. Common is the rarity printed in the largest numbers, and it is the one new players meet most often. On this particular print, look at the old rounder corners and the lack of a set symbol, both typical of Alpha. Because the card has been reprinted many times, the same name appears with newer frames and different art, so always check which printing you are holding.

How it compares

Counterspell is the closest cousin on this site. Both are instants from Alpha and both are cheap, but they point in different directions. Lightning Bolt acts on a creature or a player, and Counterspell acts on another spell. Counterspell is also an Uncommon, one step up in rarity, and it belongs to blue instead of red.

For a card from a much later set that plays in a similar fast, red way, look at Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. It is a creature and a Mythic Rare, so it shows how red design moved from a one-shot spell to a body that keeps attacking.

Questions readers ask

Is every Lightning Bolt an Alpha card?

No. The card first appeared in Alpha and has been reprinted many times, so most copies you see come from later sets.

What does it cost to buy one?

This site does not give prices. Rarity and printing both matter, so check the set and frame on the card itself before comparing copies.

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