Abrade
Instant
Choose one —
• Abrade deals 3 damage to target creature.
• Destroy target artifact.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Bloomburrow Commander
- Price
- $0.31
- EDHREC rank
- #151
Abrade answers two of the most common threats in Commander — creatures and artifacts — on a single two-mana instant, and that flexibility is the whole reason it earns a slot. Riku of Many Paths copies it for free, turning one removal spell into two, which makes the modal upside even sharper.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Riku of Many Paths
Riku of Many Paths copies instants and sorceries whenever you cast them, so Abrade becomes a two-for-one removal spell the moment Riku is on board — kill a creature and blow up an artifact for three mana total.
Shiko and Narset, Unified
Shiko and Narset, Unified rewards casting instants and sorceries, and Abrade slots cleanly into that gameplan as a low-cost spell that keeps threats off the board while triggering the commanders' engine.
Aegar, the Freezing Flame
Aegar, the Freezing Flame draws a card whenever a Giant or a spell you control deals excess damage to a creature, and Abrade's three damage frequently overkills small and mid-sized creatures to fuel that draw trigger.
Taii Wakeen, Perfect Shot
Taii Wakeen, Perfect Shot cares about dealing exactly-lethal damage to creatures, and Abrade's fixed three-damage output makes it easy to target the right creature and trigger Taii's ability on demand.
Imodane, the Pyrohammer
Imodane, the Pyrohammer copies single-target damage spells onto every opponent, but Abrade's damage mode hits creatures rather than players — the value here is the artifact half clearing stax pieces that would otherwise shut Imodane's engine down entirely.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Abrade is a clean two-mana answer to the format's two most common problem permanents — it hits the mana rocks, equipment, and artifact combos that define the mid-power table, and it kills the early value creatures that other red removal misses. In Modern and Pioneer, Abrade sees play as a sideboard card in red-based midrange decks where artifact removal is mandatory and occasional creature removal is a bonus. Legacy and Vintage have access to more efficient options, so Abrade rarely competes there outside of budget builds. In Pauper, it's legal and occasionally relevant, though the format's threats often outscale three damage. Standard legality is cyclical, but whenever Abrade is in the format, it earns consideration in any red deck that needs to answer both creature and artifact strategies.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.31 bulk tier
At $0.31, Abrade is deep bulk — every copy in print has kept it accessible to any budget. That price is stable; broad cross-format demand gives it a floor, but the sheer volume of printings means it has nowhere to climb.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Riku of Many Paths
- Shiko and Narset, Unified
- Aegar, the Freezing Flame
- Taii Wakeen, Perfect Shot
- Imodane, the Pyrohammer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.