Magic: The Gathering

Erratic Explosion

Onslaught 201 • common

Set: Onslaught
Collector number: 201
Rarity: Common
Mana cost: 2 generic mana red mana
Type: Sorcery
Colors: Red
Artist: Gary Ruddell
Market price: $0.19

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$0.19est. via TCGplayer

Market

What it's worth

$0.19market price via TCGplayer · Aug 7, 2026$0.17 – $0.20 over the tracked period

$0.19Aug 7, 2026

Estimate for a typical copy of Erratic Explosion; condition, printing, and grading move the real number.

Lore

Why it matters

Part of the *Onslaught* set released in 2002, Erratic Explosion represents the high-variance, chaotic design philosophy that defined red spells during that era of Magic: The Gathering. While its status as a common makes it widely accessible, collectors often appreciate Gary Ruddell’s distinctive illustrative style, which captures the volatile energy of the card's effect.

Card face

What it does

Choose any target. Reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal a nonland card. Erratic Explosion deals damage equal to that card's mana value to that permanent or player. Put the revealed cards on the bottom of your library in any order.

Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards.

Formats

Where you can play it

Tournament legality for Erratic Explosion across the formats players actually play.

StandardNot legal
PioneerNot legal
ModernNot legal
LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
CommanderLegal
PauperLegal
BrawlNot legal
HistoricNot legal
TimelessNot legal
Penny DreadfulLegal
OathbreakerLegal

Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards.

Reflects the last catalogue refresh, not a live ruling.

Buy

Where to find one

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Provenance

Where it came from

Erratic Explosion was released in 2002 as part of the Onslaught expansion for Magic: The Gathering. This set marked a significant return to a tribal theme, focusing heavily on creature types, and was designed to inject high-impact, splashy effects into the game's environment. As a common-rarity sorcery, the card was intended to provide players with a repeatable, albeit unreliable, form of direct damage that reflected the chaotic nature of the set's red-aligned mechanics.

The card features artwork by Gary Ruddell, an illustrator known for his atmospheric and often surreal contributions to the game during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ruddell utilized a vibrant, gestural style to capture the volatile essence of the spell, depicting a sudden and destructive discharge of magical energy. The piece was well-received for its sense of motion and its ability to visually communicate the card's randomized damage mechanic, fitting seamlessly into the high-fantasy aesthetic established by the Onslaught block.

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Other printings

Every version of this card

The same card, printed again — different sets, treatments, and prices.

Collectors

Who's collecting this

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About

About Erratic Explosion

Erratic Explosion is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Onslaught 201 • common. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.

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Where does the Erratic Explosion catalog entry come from?

The catalog entry for Erratic Explosion is sourced from Scryfall. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.