Blightning

Blightning was first introduced in the Shards of Alara expansion as a common card designed by Wizards of the Coast to represent the chaotic energy of the Grixis shard. The card functions as a sorcery that deals damage and forces the opponent to discard cards, a mechanic that emphasizes the destructive and punishing nature of black and red mana colors. Its efficiency made it a staple in aggressive burn decks during its time in Standard, where it was frequently utilized to deplete an opponent's hand while simultaneously chipping away at their life total.

The version included in Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt features updated artwork by the artist Nils Hamm, who was commissioned to capture the visceral and searing nature of the spell. Released in 2012, this specific duel deck collection was designed to highlight the rivalry between the planeswalkers Sorin Markov and Tibalt, featuring cards that reflected their individual playstyles. While the original Shards of Alara release focused on the flavor of the Grixis plane, the inclusion in this set allowed players to experience the card's potent discard and damage capabilities within a themed, head-to-head match context.