Branching Bolt MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Shifts the game by offering card advantage with potential two-for-one creature removal scenarios.
  2. Provides flexibility and resource acceleration by saving mana at instant speed.
  3. Demands strategic hand management due to specific mana and discard requirements.

Text of card

Choose one or both Branching Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature with flying; and/or Branching Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature without flying.

"Lightning lives in everything, in living flesh and growing things. It must be set free." —Rakka Mar


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Branching Bolt grants you the potential to eliminate two creatures with a single card, effectively offering a two-for-one scenario. This can dramatically shift the game in your favor by depleting your opponent’s resources while maintaining your own.

Resource Acceleration: Although Branching Bolt doesn’t directly produce mana or Treasure tokens, its efficiency in dealing with multiple threats can save you the mana you’d otherwise have to spend on multiple removal spells. This saved mana can accelerate your game plan by leaving more resources available for other uses in a turn.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of casting Branching Bolt at instant speed allows you to adapt to the unfolding game. You can pass your turn with mana open to represent various responses, and then remove creatures either in combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, keeping them guessing and potentially causing them to misplay in anticipation of what else you might have in hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Branching Bolt necessitates having the right card in hand to discard, potentially depleting your hand of crucial resources and limiting strategic options during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Branching Bolt includes a combination of red and green mana, restricting its inclusion to decks that run these colors and possibly shutting it out from mono-colored or other multicolored strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a cost of three mana, including both red and green, it sits at a higher range for instant spells with similar damage output, potentially making it a less optimal choice in fast-paced or aggressive decks where mana efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Branching Bolt in Your Collection

Versatility: Branching Bolt offers flexibility in handling threats, capable of targeting creatures with flying and those without, making it a suitable choice for decks that need to respond to a variety of board states.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with effects that capitalize on damage dealt or creatures dying, such as enablers for prowess or bloodthirst mechanics, enhancing strategic plays and synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a game dominated by creature-based strategies or in an environment with an abundance of flyers, Branching Bolt serves as an efficient removal tool that could shift the balance of a match in your favor.


How to Beat

Branching Bolt is a versatile removal option in MTG, offering the ability to target multiple creatures in one fell swoop. To effectively counter this card, strategic deck construction and timely play are essential. Incorporating creatures with hexproof or shroud characteristics into your deck can serve as an optimal deterrent to Branching Bolt, as it prevents them from becoming valid targets. Another approach is using instant-speed spells that can either give your creatures indestructible or buff their toughness beyond Branching Bolt’s damage threshold.

Additionally, countering Branching Bolt directly can save your key creatures from its reach. Pack your deck with counter spells that can negate its effects before they hit the board. You can also include cards that punish your opponent for targeting your creatures, such as those with the enrage mechanic, that can sometimes turn the tables on an opponent’s strategy. Ultimately, surviving a Branching Bolt comes down to anticipating it and having the resources at hand to neutralize its effect. Keeping up protection and counters in hand when engaging with a deck that might run Branching Bolt is a sound strategy.


Cards like Branching Bolt

Branching Bolt is a unique choice within the realm of damage dealing spells in Magic: The Gathering. It finds its peers in cards like Lightning Helix, which also offers the ability to target a creature or player, but Branching Bolt extends its reach with the capacity to hit two creatures with one casting if they both have flying. This gives players who use Branching Bolt a potential two-for-one advantage under the right conditions.

Additionally, there’s Arc Trail, which follows a similar concept by allowing one spell to deal damage to multiple targets. However, while Arc Trail is more flexible in target selection as it doesn’t require creatures to have flying, it doesn’t match up to the potential damage output of Branching Bolt against airborne threats. Then, considering Flames of the Raze-Boar, we witness a spell that could deal significant damage to multiple creatures, but this card’s efficiency heavily relies on having a creature with high power on the battlefield.

Ultimately, Branching Bolt stands out with its dual-targeting flexibility, a feature that can be a game-changer in moments where flying creatures dominate the board. It holds its ground as a versatile and potent option for players favoring Red and Green spells.

Lightning Helix - MTG Card versions
Arc Trail - MTG Card versions
Flames of the Raze-Boar - MTG Card versions
Lightning Helix - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Arc Trail - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Flames of the Raze-Boar - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)

Cards similar to Branching Bolt by color, type and mana cost

Violent Outburst - MTG Card versions
Wild Hunger - MTG Card versions
Heaven // Earth - MTG Card versions
Klauth's Will - MTG Card versions
Violent Outburst - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Wild Hunger - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Heaven // Earth - Amonkhet Promos (PAKH)
Klauth's Will - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Branching Bolt MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara and Planechase, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Branching Bolt and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Branching Bolt Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2010-06-18. Illustrated by Vance Kovacs.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12008-10-03Shards of AlaraALA 1582003normalblackVance Kovacs
22009-09-04PlanechaseHOP 832003normalblackVance Kovacs
32010-06-18ArchenemyARC 822003normalblackVance Kovacs

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Branching Bolt has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Branching Bolt card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2008-10-01 You may choose just the first mode (targeting a creature with flying), just the second mode (targeting a creature without flying), or both modes (targeting a creature with flying and a creature without flying). You can’t choose a mode unless there’s a legal target for it.

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