Volt Charge MTG Card


Volt Charge can be a game-changer with its ability to proliferate and boost various permanents efficiently. Instant speed gives flexibility in play, making Volt Charge a strategic asset in various situations. Its mana cost requires careful deck construction to maximize this card’s impactful potential.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Proliferate

Text of card

Volt Charge deals 3 damage to target creature or player. Proliferate. (You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.)


Cards like Volt Charge

Volt Charge brings a unique dynamic to the instants and sorceries that influence the board with direct damage in Magic: The Gathering. It finds its peers in cards like Lightning Bolt, known for its cost-effective damage delivery. What sets Volt Charge apart is its proliferate feature, allowing the player to add additional counters on their permanents, be it on creatures, planeswalkers, or other counter-laden cards in play.

Comparatively, cards like Incinerate provide direct damage too, but Incinerate allows no room for the extra proliferate step that can turn the tides in a proliferate-focused deck. Then, we have the card Steady Progress, which proliferates as well but without dealing damage, creating a one-dimensional effect in contrast to Volt Charge’s flexibility. While Steady Progress can be slot into proliferate strategies, it doesn’t offer the immediate board impact of Volt Charge.

When considering utility and versatility, Volt Charge showcases impressive potential by combining immediate damage with the ability to enhance the potency of a wide range of permanents, proving to be a card of choice for players looking to optimize synergistic counter play in their MTG decks.

Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Incinerate - MTG Card versions
Steady Progress - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Incinerate - MTG Card versions
Steady Progress - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Volt Charge by color, type and mana cost

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Seismic Strike - MTG Card versions
Staggershock - MTG Card versions
Disharmony - MTG Card versions
Solfatara - MTG Card versions
Flare - MTG Card versions
Trumpet Blast - MTG Card versions
Urza's Rage - MTG Card versions
Turf Wound - MTG Card versions
Char - MTG Card versions
Chaos Warp - MTG Card versions
Merchant of the Vale // Haggle - MTG Card versions
Seething Song - MTG Card versions
Unforge - MTG Card versions
Aura Barbs - MTG Card versions
Path of Anger's Flame - MTG Card versions
Smash - MTG Card versions
Fiery Temper - MTG Card versions
Orcish Cannonade - MTG Card versions
Chaos Wrap - MTG Card versions
Fatal Frenzy - MTG Card versions
Seismic Strike - MTG Card versions
Staggershock - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Volt Charge. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Red BurnMono-Red Burn Free formStandard Pauper Tournament Feb 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Volt Charge’s proliferate ability can enhance any number of permanents with counters, including planeswalkers, potentially multiplying your on-board advantages without costing you additional cards from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: By boosting the loyalty counters on your planeswalkers, the card can accelerate your resources, bringing you closer to devastating ultimate abilities that can swing the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Volt Charge offers flexibility, allowing you to respond swiftly to the evolving game state or to simply add counters at the end of your opponent’s turn, keeping your mana open for other strategic plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Volt Charge does not necessitate discarding cards; however, it’s important to note that keeping your hand filled with options is essential when playing any MTG card with a pivotal role.

Specific Mana Cost: Volt Charge requires a red mana plus two others to cast. This particular mana combination can be restrictive and might not easily fit into multicolored or colorless decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three total mana, Volt Charge is not the most mana-efficient spell when you’re trying to optimize your damage per mana spent. Some players might find better alternatives that fit into their strategy more seamlessly.


Reasons to Include Volt Charge in Your Collection

Versatility: Volt Charge offers a much-needed boost to decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters or require instant speed interaction. Its ability to proliferate can affect a broad array of permanents, including creatures, planeswalkers, and even artifact counters.

Combo Potential: With Volt Charge, any strategy that multiplies the presence of counters on the battlefield becomes more potent. This card seamlessly integrates into combos that benefit from adding extra counters, potentially turning the tide in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where counter manipulation plays a significant role, Volt Charge can be the edge players need. It’s quite effective against slower, developing boards where the incremental advantage of proliferation escalates each turn.


How to beat

Volt Charge presents itself as a versatile spell in any player’s arsenal, allowing not only for direct damage but also for the proliferation of counters. Within the strategic environment of Magic: The Gathering, tackling an opponent’s Volt Charge is about foresight and timely reaction. Shielding your creatures with hexproof or shroud prevents Volt Charge from targeting them, thereby neutralizing one of its avenues of impact.

Control strategies find strength in counter spells, which can efficiently nullify a Volt Charge before it ever resolves. For those who prefer a more active approach, redirecting spells can turn the tables on an opponent, utilizing their own Volt Charge against them. Similarly, employing instant-speed removal or damage prevention can significantly mitigate the threat of this spell.

Denying your opponent the chance to build a board presence with creatures or counters that benefit from proliferation stunts the Volt Charge’s potential, streamlining the path to securing your victory. Ultimately, a robust strategy for managing threats, including preemptive and responsive measures, is paramount when facing the multifaceted challenge posed by Volt Charge.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG isn’t just about understanding each card’s pros and cons, it’s about adaptability and the clever utilization of each spell’s unique mechanics. With cards like Volt Charge, the opportunity to enhance your gameplay with strategic proliferate effects can turn good decks into great ones. This potent instant can be the linchpin in a powerfully synergistic deck that leverages counters for a decisive advantage. As you grow your collection and refine your strategies, consider the dynamic abilities of Volt Charge and similar cards that can give you an edge over your opponents. For more insights and advanced tactics, step up your game with us and discover new dimensions of MTG play.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volt Charge MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia and Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters, 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 Volt Charge and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Volt Charge Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2011-05-13 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-05-13New PhyrexiaNPH 1002003NormalBlackJana Schirmer & Johannes Voss
22013-09-06Duel Decks: Heroes vs. MonstersDDL 682003NormalBlackJana Schirmer & Johannes Voss
32023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 1552015NormalBlackDeruchenko Alexander

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Volt Charge has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2011-06-01 If the permanent or player is an illegal target when Volt Charge tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won't proliferate.
2023-02-04 An ability that triggers "Whenever you proliferate" triggers even if you chose no permanents or players while doing so.
2023-02-04 If a permanent ever has both +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it at the same time, they're removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
2023-02-04 If a player or permanent has more than one kind of counter on it, and you choose for it to get additional counters, it must get one of each kind of counter it already has. You can't have it get just one kind of counter it already has and not the others.
2023-02-04 Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it's too late for anyone to respond.
2023-02-04 To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can choose any player who has a counter, including opponents. You can't choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
2023-02-04 You don't have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since "any number" includes zero, you don't have to choose any permanents at all, and you don't have to choose any players at all.