Ambush
Instant
Blocking creatures gain first strike until end of turn.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Homelands
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #26867
Ambush gives a target creature +1/+3 until end of turn at instant speed for one green mana — a cheap, narrow combat trick that trades a blocker for a blocker. It's functional but forgettable; green has better options at this slot in almost every context.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ambush is a one-for-one combat trick in a multiplayer format where card advantage is king — the math rarely works in your favor. Pauper is its most legitimate home, where the card pool is restricted enough that cheap instant-speed pump has real standing, especially in creature-heavy green decks. Legacy and Vintage are legal but irrelevant; no competitive shell there is looking for +1/+3. Ambush is a bulk common that earns a slot only in Pauper, and even there it faces stiff competition from similar effects.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, Ambush is deep bulk — you're paying for the cardboard, not the effect. It won't appreciate; the supply is large and the demand ceiling is low.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.