Ashnod's Intervention
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature gets +2/+0 and gains "When this creature dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, return it to its owner's hand."
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The Brothers' War
- Price
- $0.27
- EDHREC rank
- #8216
Ashnod's Intervention lets you sacrifice a creature to give another creature indestructible until end of turn — a sacrifice outlet and protection spell stapled together for one black mana. Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist decks run it because it does two jobs at instant speed without spending an extra card slot on each.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist
Ashnod, Flesh Mechanist wants sacrifice fodder turned into value, and Ashnod's Intervention converts a doomed token into a shield for your most important creature at instant speed — all for one mana.
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent plays a punishing, resource-denial game where losing creatures on your terms matters, and Ashnod's Intervention lets you cash in a creature at instant speed while protecting Xantcha herself from a blowout.
Massacre Girl
Massacre Girl's sweeper trigger stacks on every creature that dies, and Ashnod's Intervention lets you feed that chain deliberately while keeping Massacre Girl alive through the carnage she creates.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ashnod's Intervention fills a niche that sacrifice-matters builds genuinely want — a one-mana instant that doubles as outlet and protection, which is hard to find at that price point. Competitive formats like Modern and Legacy have faster, more redundant protection and sacrifice options, so it rarely earns a slot outside of dedicated synergy builds. Pauper is where it's most interesting outside Commander; black sacrifice strategies there can actually exploit the dual function since every card slot counts at common. Pioneer sees enough black midrange to make it a consideration, but it competes with cleaner protection spells that don't require a creature tax.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.27 bulk tier
At $0.27, Ashnod's Intervention is firmly bulk — the kind of card you pull from a box rather than order. Demand is narrow enough that the price is unlikely to spike unless a future commander makes sacrifice-plus-protection a breakout theme.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.