Lunge is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Lunge deals 2 damage to target creature and 2 damage to target player or planeswalker.
Complete guide
Lunge is a straightforward yet efficient red instant that allows you to manage the board while simultaneously pressuring your opponent's life total or their powerful planeswalkers. By splitting its 2 damage across two different targets, it serves as a versatile tool for any aggressive or midrange deck. Understanding how targeting works with this spell is key to ensuring you get the full value out of its two-pronged attack.
Dual Targets and Requirements
Lunge requires two distinct targets to be cast: one creature and one player or planeswalker. You cannot cast this spell if there are no creatures on the battlefield, nor can you cast it if there are no players or planeswalkers to target. If one of the targets becomes illegal before the spell resolves (for example, if a creature is sacrificed in response), Lunge will still attempt to deal 2 damage to the remaining valid target.
The Resolution Process
When Lunge resolves, the game checks the legality of its targets. If both targets are still legal, Lunge deals 2 damage to the creature and 2 damage to the player or planeswalker simultaneously. Because this is direct damage rather than combat damage, it will trigger abilities that care about non-combat damage or sources of damage from a red spell.
Strategic Timing
As an instant, Lunge is best used during your opponent's turn to pick off a utility creature or a small attacker while chipping away at their life total. It is also an excellent response to a planeswalker's loyalty ability, potentially dealing enough damage to remove the planeswalker from the board before they can generate too much value.
Interaction examples
Deflecting SwatIf you cast Lunge targeting an opponent's creature and that opponent directly, they can respond with Deflecting Swat. Since Lunge has two targets, the player casting Deflecting Swat can change the creature target to one of your creatures and the player target to you, turning your own spell against your board and life total.
Chaos WarpSuppose you cast Lunge targeting a creature and a planeswalker. In response, your opponent casts Chaos Warp on the targeted creature, shuffling it away. When Lunge resolves, the creature target is gone, but the spell does not fizzle because the planeswalker is still a legal target. Lunge will still deal 2 damage to the planeswalker.
While both cards share a name theme, they function differently. Lunge always deals a fixed 2 damage to two different types of targets. Corpse Lunge requires an additional cost of exiling a creature from your graveyard and only deals damage to a creature. If you need to hit a player to win the game, Lunge is the tool for the job, whereas Corpse Lunge is better for scaling damage against larger threats.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Lunge
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Lunge.
When Clive enters, you may discard your hand, then draw cards equal to your devotion to red. (Each {R} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to red.) {4}{R}{R}, {T}: Exile Clive, then return it to the battlefield transformed under its owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery. (As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter.) I — Lunge — Ifrit fights up to one other target creature. II, III — Brimstone — Add {R}{R}{R}{R}. If Ifrit has three or more lore counters on it, exile it, then return it to the battlefield (front face up).
Orbital Plunge deals 6 damage to target creature. If excess damage was dealt this way, create a Lander token. (It's an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.")
As an additional cost to cast this spell, exile a creature card from your graveyard. Corpse Lunge deals damage equal to the exiled card's power to target creature.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Lunge
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.