Stonesplitter Bolt 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
Bargain (You may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token as you cast this spell.) Stonesplitter Bolt deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker. If this spell was bargained, it deals twice X damage to that permanent instead.
Complete guide
Stonesplitter Bolt is a flexible red instant from Wilds of Eldraine that offers players a choice between efficiency and raw power. By utilizing the Bargain mechanic, you can turn a small investment of mana and a spare permanent into a devastating blow against your opponent's board.
Understanding the Bargain
Stonesplitter Bolt features the Bargain keyword, which is an optional additional cost. As you cast the spell, you may choose to sacrifice one artifact, enchantment, or token. If you do, the spell becomes 'bargained,' which in this case doubles the damage dealt. You can only sacrifice a single permanent to satisfy the Bargain cost for one spell.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you announce the spell and choose a value for X. Second, you choose your target—either a creature or a planeswalker. Third, you decide whether to Bargain by sacrificing a qualifying permanent. When the spell resolves, it checks if the Bargain cost was paid. If it was, the spell deals 2 times X damage; otherwise, it deals exactly X damage to the chosen target.
Common Pitfalls
A frequent mistake is trying to target a player or a battle; Stonesplitter Bolt is strictly limited to creatures and planeswalkers. Additionally, remember that if the spell is countered, you do not get back the permanent you sacrificed for the Bargain cost, as that cost is paid during the casting process, not upon resolution.
When to Play Stonesplitter Bolt
This card shines in decks that generate Treasure or Food tokens, as these provide cheap fuel for the Bargain cost. It serves as an early-game removal tool for small threats or a late-game finisher against high-loyalty planeswalkers that other red spells might struggle to defeat.
Interaction examples
Lightning BoltWhile Lightning Bolt deals a fixed 3 damage for one mana, Stonesplitter Bolt offers flexibility. If you cast Stonesplitter Bolt with X=2 and pay the Bargain cost, you spend three mana total (2R) to deal 4 damage, surpassing the damage threshold of a standard Lightning Bolt.
AbradeAbrade is excellent for its utility in destroying artifacts or dealing 3 damage to creatures. However, Stonesplitter Bolt can deal much higher amounts of damage to creatures or target planeswalkers, which Abrade cannot. If you have an artifact to spare, Stonesplitter Bolt can easily deal 6 or 8 damage to a large threat that Abrade would ignore.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Stonesplitter Bolt
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Bargain means “As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice an artifact, enchantment, or token.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Bargain represents an optional additional cost. A spell cast with that additional cost paid is “bargained.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You may sacrifice only one artifact, enchantment, or token to pay a spell’s bargain cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If you copy a bargained spell, the copy is also bargained. If a card or token enters the battlefield as a copy of a permanent that’s already on the battlefield, the new permanent isn’t bargained, even if the original was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Some instant and sorcery spells require additional targets if they’re bargained. You ignore those targeting requirements if those spells aren’t bargained, and you can’t bargain those spells unless you can choose the appropriate targets. On the other hand, you can bargain a permanent spell even if you won’t be able to choose targets for an enters-the-battlefield ability of that permanent once the spell resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Stonesplitter Bolt
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.