Electrostatic Bolt MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin
Set code	MRD
Number	89
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Randy Gallegos

Key Takeaways

Efficient creature removal leads to indirect card advantage, disrupting opponent’s momentum.
Flexibility at instant speed allows for tactical plays and board control during combat.
Mana cost and deck synergy considerations are crucial for maximizing Electrostatic Bolt’s effectiveness.

Text of card

Electrostatic Bolt deals 2 damage to target creature. If it's an artifact creature, Electrostatic Bolt deals 4 damage to it instead.

It's hard to avoid electric shock when the entire plane is metallic.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Electrostatic Bolt doesn’t let you draw cards outright, its ability to remove key creatures or planeswalkers can lead to indirect card advantage. By efficiently dealing with threats, you often force your opponent to expend more resources to recover, thereby putting yourself ahead.

Resource Acceleration: Electrostatic Bolt itself may not generate mana or ramp, but by eliminating mana dorks or creatures with mana abilities, it can effectively slow down your opponent’s resource acceleration. This allows you to maintain or gain a tempo advantage, keeping you on pace or ahead in the race for board presence and available resources.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Electrostatic Bolt offers flexibility, allowing you to react to threats on your opponent’s turn or remove blockers and attackers during combat. The ability to hold up mana and decide the best moment to cast it provides strategic depth and can lead to advantageous board states.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Electrostatic Bolt doesn’t require a discard itself, it can be less advantageous in scenarios where keeping a full hand is critical to your strategy. Having to use it over holding onto key cards may hinder your late-game potential.

Specific Mana Cost: Electrostatic Bolt’s necessity for red mana restricts its inclusion to decks that can produce this color. This requirement can be a challenge in multicolored decks that may prioritize other spells with more flexible mana needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although relatively low-cost at one red mana, when compared to its counterparts in the format, Electrostatic Bolt may not always be the most mana-efficient removal option. For one mana, other cards may provide additional benefits or greater damage output.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Electrostatic Bolt is adaptable in many play styles as it offers a quick and affordable solution to remove smaller creatures or to finish off damaged ones. Whether it’s in an aggressive red deck or a control-oriented strategy, its low casting cost allows for efficient mana usage throughout the game.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to deal damage can be synergized with cards that capitalize on non-combat damage, enabling players to craft combos that can deal excess damage, take advantage of damage triggers, or even clear the way for bigger threats.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creatures with one-toughness or utility creatures are commonly played, Electrostatic Bolt remains relevant by providing a direct answer to them. Having it in your collection means you’re well-prepared to counter a wide range of threats that are present in various MTG metagames.

How to beat

Electrostatic Bolt serves as a swift removal tool within the red color spectrum of MTG. Its primary ability allows you to direct damage towards creatures with efficiency. To counteract the precision of Electrostatic Bolt, the best strategy is to employ creatures with toughness just out of reach of its damage threshold, namely those with four or more toughness. This forces the opposing player to commit additional resources to handle your more resilient threats.

Additionally, take advantage of playing around its restrictions by utilizing artifact creatures, which Electrostatic Bolt hits for 4 damage instead of the usual 2. Integrating non-artifact creatures with high toughness into your line-up can significantly reduce the potency of Electrostatic Bolt. Consider also casting spells that can protect your creatures or negate the Bolt’s damage entirely to ensure the survival of your key players on the battlefield. Utilizing instant-speed tricks to boost toughness or granting indestructibility can be a winning play against an opponent relying on Electrostatic Bolt for creature control.

Through precautionary deck building and smart in-game decisions, you can effectively “defuse” the threat of Electrostatic Bolt, turning a potential drawback into an opportunity to fortify your board presence and maintain strategic advantage.

Cards like Electrostatic Bolt

Within the realm of direct damage spells in Magic: The Gathering, Electrostatic Bolt holds its place due to its simple yet impactful ability. It’s often compared with cards like Shock, which also delivers 2 points of damage but to any target. Electrostatic Bolt, meanwhile, specifically targets creatures and can hit harder against artifact creatures, potentially dealing 4 damage instead.

Analyzing cards such as Galvanic Blast brings another dimension into the fray. Though it shares the capacity to deal 2 damage for one mana, it can quadruple that against a player with metalcraft, offering versatility Electrostatic Bolt doesn’t possess. Pyroclasm presents a different approach, providing a sweep of 2 damage to all creatures for one additional mana, something to consider in a metagame flourished with smaller threats.

Ultimately, Electrostatic Bolt serves as a tailored solution for decks focusing on creature removal, particularly when artifact creatures are a common sight on the battlefield. It’s this niche application that ensures its relevance, making it a potentially superior choice over broader but less specialized options in Magic: The Gathering’s vast library of spells.

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

March of Reckless Joy - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Electrostatic Bolt MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Electrostatic Bolt and other MTG cards: