Battle at the Bridge

Battle at the Bridge

X

Sorcery

Text

Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for {1}.) Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. You gain X life.

"This is bigger than you. All of you." —Tezzeret

#11,421 EDHREC 🖌 Chris Rallis

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updated on 06/17/2026
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381 offers · from €0.19 · avg €29.46 · max €10,000.64

Poor: 3 · Played: 5 · Near Mint: 166 · Slightly Played: 170 · Moderately Played: 37

Rulings (11)

When using improvise to cast a spell with {X} in its mana cost, first choose the value for X. That choice, plus any cost increases or decreases, will determine the spell’s total cost. Then you can tap artifacts you control to help pay that cost. For example, if you cast Whir of Invention (a spell with improvise and mana cost {X}) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is {3}. If you tap two artifacts, you’ll have to pay {1}.

02/09/2017

Because improvise isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.

02/09/2017

Improvise doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or mana value.

02/09/2017

If the target creature becomes an illegal target, Battle at the Bridge doesn’t resolve and none of its effects happen. You won’t gain life.

02/09/2017

Improvise can’t pay for , , , , , or mana symbols in a spell’s total cost.

02/09/2017

Tapping an artifact won’t cause its abilities to stop applying unless those abilities say so.

02/09/2017

Equipment attached to a creature doesn’t become tapped when that creature becomes tapped, and tapping that Equipment doesn’t cause the creature to become tapped.

02/09/2017

Improvise can’t be used to pay for anything other than the cost of casting the spell. For example, it can’t be used during the resolution of an ability that says “Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.”

02/09/2017

When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Improvise applies after the total cost is calculated.

02/09/2017

If an artifact you control has a mana ability with {T} in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with improvise will result in the artifact being tapped when you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for improvise. Similarly, if you sacrifice an artifact to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with improvise, that artifact won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for improvise.

02/09/2017

There are many important moments in the story, but the most crucial—called “story spotlights”—are shown on cards. These cards have the Planeswalker symbol in their text box; this symbol has no effect on gameplay. You can read more about these events in the official Magic fiction at http://www.mtgstory.com.

01/19/2018

Legality by format

Brawl Legal
Commander Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Legacy Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Old School Not legal
Pauper Not legal
Pioneer Legal
Premodern Not legal
Standard Not legal
Vintage Legal
Block Constructed Not legal
Extended Not legal
Frontier Not legal
Tiny Leaders Not legal