MTG · Card

◇ Catalog #12

Chain Lightning

DIGITAL ONLY

aa3·#12·common·nonfoil

Illus. Christopher Moeller

View concept →

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in vault

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for trade

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wishlisted

Sep '25

11 mo ago

Played in EDH

EDHrec rank #6,523 · Niche pick

Variants

Nonfoil

Gameplay

Sorcery

Chain Lightning deals 3 damage to any target. Then that player or that permanent's controller may pay {R}{R}. If the player does, they may copy this spell and may choose a new target for that copy.

Legalities

tlrlegal

duellegal

brawllegal

pennylegal

PreDH

Rulings · 4

2022-12-08wotc

The copy of Chain Lightning is created on the stack, so it's not cast. Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. Players may respond to that spell before it resolves.

2022-12-08wotc

The player putting the copy of the spell on the stack controls that copy.

2022-12-08wotc

As Chain Lightning resolves, either the original or one of the copies, the targeted player or the controller of the targeted permanent may copy it. The copy has the same text, target, and color as the resolving spell, though the player creating the copy may choose a new target for it. Once that copy is created (or not), the Chain Lightning finishes resolving and leaves the stack.

Context

This printing is one of 2 catalogued treatments from AA3 — the lineup includes Nonfoil alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.

Card #12 of *Arena Anthology 3*, the set that shipped alongside the September 2025 Arena Anthology 3 release.

Card type: Sorcery, color identity red, printed at common. Commons fill the bulk of a booster pack's volume. Mana cost: {R} (1 converted).

Legal across the major constructed formats — Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander — plus Standard rotation play.

EDHrec ranks this card #6,523 in Commander, putting it in the niche-pick tier of the format's playable pool.

Illustrated by Christopher Moeller. Rarix catalogs 1,011 other cards credited to this artist.