Abyssal Specter
Creature — Specter
Flying
Whenever this creature deals damage to a player, that player discards a card.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Fifth Edition
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #16661
Abyssal Specter makes an opponent discard a card every time it connects — evasion plus disruption on a single body. Four mana for a 2/3 flyer is a poor rate in 2025, and that cost is the whole problem.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Abyssal Specter is too slow and too small to matter — four mana buys you far more threatening evasive threats, and targeted discard loses most of its punch in a four-player game where opponents refill faster than one hit can punish. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but would never touch it; the discard payoff doesn't approach the efficiency bar those formats demand. Modern is legal on paper, but Abyssal Specter competes against Grief, Raven's Crime, and a dozen more efficient discard tools and doesn't come close. It's a bulk rare that peaked in an era before power creep made four-mana 2/3s obsolete.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Abyssal Specter is deep bulk — you'll find it in a dollar box, not a trade binder. That price reflects the card's power level accurately, and there's no reason to expect it to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.