Act of Aggression
Instant
(
can be paid with either 
or 2 life.)
Gain control of target creature an opponent controls until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- New Phyrexia
- Price
- $0.29
- EDHREC rank
- #8848
Act of Aggression steals any creature at instant speed, untaps it, and gives it haste — turning an opponent's best threat into a combat weapon for a turn. The Phyrexian mana clause lets you cast it for three mana at the cost of four life, which is the whole reason it sees play over slower alternatives like Grab the Reins.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Brion Stoutarm
Brion Stoutarm flings creatures for damage, and Act of Aggression hands him a borrowed fatty to throw — stealing a 6/6 and immediately hurling it at its owner is exactly the kind of tempo swing the deck is built around.
Zidane, Tantalus Thief
Zidane, Tantalus Thief rewards you for attacking with stolen creatures, and Act of Aggression provides a same-turn answer when opponents tap out — snatch the biggest blocker, swing for value, and let it return at end of turn.
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 |
Commander is where Act of Aggression does its best work — the format is full of expensive, high-impact creatures that become backbreaking when turned against their owner for a single decisive attack. The instant speed and Phyrexian mana cost mean you can hold up the effect on someone else's turn, which matters enormously in a four-player game where opportunity windows close fast. In Legacy and Vintage, Act of Aggression is legal but rarely played; Control Magic effects at sorcery speed are already too slow for those formats, and a one-turn theft at five mana doesn't compete with the format's efficiency ceiling. Modern offers the same legal status but the same problem — the card simply costs too much for a temporary effect in a format where games end on turn four.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.29 bulk tier
At $0.29, Act of Aggression is firmly bulk, and that price reflects its narrow role rather than low power. It's stable at this tier — the effect is good enough to keep it in Commander rotation but not splashy enough to push it above a dollar.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.