Cankerous Thirst
Instant
If 
was spent to cast this spell, you may have target creature get -3/-3 until end of turn. If 
was spent to cast this spell, you may have target creature get +3/+3 until end of turn. (Do both if was spent.)
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BG
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Eventide
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #28261
Cankerous Thirst gives you a modal instant that either pumps a creature by +3/+3 or drains one for 3 damage — both at instant speed, both conditional on controlling a Swamp or Forest respectively. The hybrid mana cost is flexible, but paying four total for a single effect that a dedicated pump or removal spell does cheaper makes this a card for narrow tribal synergy contexts only.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Cankerous Thirst is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but sees essentially no play in any of them. In Commander, the card's ceiling is as a budget flex slot in Golgari creature decks that want modal options at instant speed, though four mana for +3/+3 or 3 damage is well below rate in a format full of efficient removal and pump. Legacy and Modern have no interest — both formats demand far more efficiency than Cankerous Thirst offers. It's a card that exists in Commander and nowhere else, and even there it's a concession, not a choice.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Cankerous Thirst is deep bulk — you'll find it in a dollar bin long before you'd pay for a single copy online. The price reflects the demand accurately: this is a card you include when the budget is extremely tight and the role is very specific, not one that holds or gains value.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.