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Battle at the Bridge

~$0.28 low · ~$1.19 high

Black. Sorcery

X generic manaone black mana

053 · AER · R · ENWhat the codes mean

Battle at the Bridge

Aether Revolt #53 · Illustrated by Chris Rallis

What is Battle at the Bridge worth?

Cheapest copy

~$0.28

Non-foil · Aether Revolt #53

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Highest TCGplayer price

~$1.19

Promo foil · Aether Revolt Promos #53s

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3 prices from $0.28 to $1.19. Every price is in the printings table below.

TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.

Oracle text

Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for one generic mana.)

Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn. You gain X life.

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

All 2 printings of Battle at the Bridge

PrintingRarityNon-foilFoilCardmarket (EUR)My collection
Aether Revolt Promos #53s
Aether Revolt Promos
paer #53s· 2017Promorare· Cardmarket €0.75 foil
rareNo non-foil printing$1.19€0.75 foil

Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.

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Card details

First printed
2017
Printings
2
Mana value
1
EDHREC rank
#11,795 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
Keywords
Improvise
Artist
Chris Rallis

What the codes mean

The small print at the bottom of the Aether Revolt card (#53).

053 · AER · R · EN

  • 053Collector number: this card's place in the set list. Main-set cards print it over the set's card count.
  • AERSet code for Aether Revolt
  • RRare
  • ENPrinted in English

How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.

Rulings (11)

  1. 2017-02-09

    When using improvise to cast a spell with X generic mana 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 generic manaone blue manaone blue manaone blue mana) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is three generic manaone blue manaone blue manaone blue mana. If you tap two artifacts, you’ll have to pay one generic manaone blue manaone blue manaone blue mana.

  2. 2017-02-09

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

  3. 2017-02-09

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

  4. 2017-02-09

    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.

  5. 2017-02-09

    Improvise can’t pay for one white mana, one blue mana, one black mana, one red mana, one green mana, or one colorless mana mana symbols in a spell’s total cost.

  6. 2017-02-09

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

  7. 2017-02-09

    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.

  8. 2017-02-09

    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 three generic mana.”

  9. 2017-02-09

    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.

  10. 2017-02-09

    If an artifact you control has a mana ability with tap this permanent 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.

  11. 2018-01-19

    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.

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