Branching Bolt
Shards of Alara 158 • common
- Set
- Shards of Alara
- Collector number
- 158
- Rarity
- Common
- Mana cost
- 1 generic mana red mana green mana
- Type
- Instant
- Colors
- Green · Red
- Artist
- Vance Kovacs
- Market price
- $0.19
What it does
Choose one or both —
• Branching Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature with flying.
• 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
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernLegal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperLegal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- Penny DreadfulLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
Where to find one
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Where it came from
Branching Bolt was released in 2008 as part of the Shards of Alara set for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game. This set introduced the mechanic of 'multicolor' cards based on three-color shards, with this particular card representing the Naya shard, which emphasizes creatures, growth, and raw power. It was designed to provide players with a versatile tactical tool, allowing them to split damage between a creature and a player or focus it on a single target, reflecting the aggressive and adaptable nature of the Naya faction.
The card was illustrated by artist Franz Vohwinkel, who has contributed art to the game since the late 1990s. His rendering features the warm, vibrant colors typical of the Naya environment, emphasizing the raw elemental energy of the bolt. Upon its release, the card was well-received in the competitive community as a solid common-rarity utility spell, prized for its flexibility in limited formats where efficient removal is essential for maintaining board control.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
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About Branching Bolt
Branching Bolt is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Shards of Alara 158 • common. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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