MTG · Card

◇ Catalog #2052

Chain Lightning

sld·#2052·rare·borderless

Illus. Adam Volker

View concept →

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in vault

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for trade

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wishlisted

Apr '25

1 yr ago

Value

$6.50+$0 (+4.2%)

30 days high $5.69 · low $5.19

NM$5.50

LP—

MP—

HP—

DMG—

$5.08–$5.81modeled

30 days ago
today

90-dayhigh $9.82low $5.50range 78.5%n 53

Where to buy / sell

TCGplayer eBay sold Cardmarket EU Star City

Search links · prices vary by venue

Buy this card

Played in EDH

EDHrec rank #6,523 · Niche pick

Variants

Borderless$5.50

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

Last observed on Scryfall 2 months ago at $5.50. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $5.50 and $9.82 across 53 observations. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.

This printing is one of 2 catalogued treatments from SLD — the lineup includes Borderless 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 #2052 of *Secret Lair Drop*, the set that shipped alongside the April 2025 Secret Lair Drop release.

Card type: Sorcery, color identity red, printed at rare. Rares occupy the bottom-of-pack rare slot in standard boosters. 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 Adam Volker. Rarix catalogs 27 other cards credited to this artist.