Besmirch
Sorcery
Until end of turn, gain control of target creature and it gains haste. Untap and goad that creature. (Until your next turn, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a player other than you if able.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.36
- EDHREC rank
- #10869
Besmirch steals a creature and forces it to attack — two effects on one card for two mana, which is the whole pitch. Zidane, Tantalus Thief turns that forced attack into a loot trigger, making Besmirch pull double duty as both disruption and card selection.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zidane, Tantalus Thief
Zidane, Tantalus Thief triggers whenever an opponent's creature attacks you, so Besmirch manufactures that trigger on demand — steal their best blocker, point it at you, loot, and leave them a turn behind.
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant rewards goading, and Besmirch is effectively a goad stapled to Act of Treason — the forced attack draws a card and drains the targeted creature's owner while advancing Karazikar's politics gameplan.
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 |
Besmirch is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, and Commander is far and away where it earns its slot. In Legacy and Vintage, temporary theft at sorcery speed doesn't compete with the format's existing tools, so Besmirch is effectively Commander-exclusive in practice. In Commander, the forced-attack clause is the differentiator — most Act of Treason variants just steal; Besmirch also deals damage, triggers combat-matters commanders, and can crash the stolen creature into another player's blockers before it returns.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.36 bulk tier
At $0.36, Besmirch is bulk — you're not paying a premium for the effect. Bulk rares at this price point don't tend to climb unless they land on a ban list or show up in a high-profile combo, and nothing about Besmirch's role suggests either is coming.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.