Backdraft
Instant
Choose a player who cast one or more sorcery spells this turn. Backdraft deals damage to that player equal to half the damage dealt by one of those sorcery spells this turn, rounded down.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Legends
- Price
- $3.59
- EDHREC rank
- #27498
Backdraft doubles your instants and sorceries from the graveyard in a single turn — cast a spell, then immediately recast it from the bin at no extra cost. Three mana for that effect is efficient, and in any spellslinger or graveyard-value shell, Backdraft earns its slot easily.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Backdraft does its best work, turning one powerful spell into two and generating immediate value in storm, spellslinger, or reanimator-adjacent strategies. Legacy has the raw power density to use it, but dedicated graveyard decks there have faster, more consistent engines and rarely need it. Vintage is technically legal but the format's speed makes a three-mana enchantment a liability. Outside those formats, Backdraft isn't legal, so Commander is the primary home — and a legitimate one.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$3.59 cheap tier
At $3.59, Backdraft sits at the low end of the mid-tier range — cheap enough that it's not a hard sell, expensive enough that it should be earning its slot. The price reflects real demand from Commander players, and it holds value as long as graveyard and spellslinger strategies remain popular.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.