Afflict
Instant
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Odyssey
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #19175
Afflict is a one-mana instant that deals 3 damage to target creature or player — straightforward, clean, and exactly as powerful as that sentence implies. It's fine in Limited, bulk in Constructed, and only earns a slot in Commander when you're either doubling up on instants or specifically need cheap interaction at sorcery-speed alternatives.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Afflict competes against a deep pool of removal that either destroys, exiles, or hits multiple targets — 3 damage to a single creature or player rarely justifies a slot in a 99-card deck unless you're running a spells-matter or burn-to-face strategy. Pauper is where Afflict is most credible, since the format's power ceiling is lower and cheap, flexible instants have real currency. In Legacy and Vintage, the card is technically legal but never sees play — formats that run Force of Will and Ancestral Recall have no patience for three damage at one mana. Modern has long since moved past this effect. The honest read: Afflict is a Limited card that happens to be legal everywhere.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Afflict is pure bulk — the kind of card you pull from a common box without thinking twice. Don't expect the price to move; there's no competitive demand pulling it in any direction.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.