Celestial Flare
Instant
Target player sacrifices an attacking or blocking creature of their choice.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora
- Price
- $0.25
- EDHREC rank
- #18102
Celestial Flare forces an attacking or blocking opponent to sacrifice a creature — no targeting, no shroud or hexproof dodge, no protection clause to hide behind. The cost is real: it only fires during combat, and a player with multiple attackers gets to choose what they lose.
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, Celestial Flare is a narrow tool — combat-only timing and the opponent's choice of sacrifice make it a poor fit in a format where you need removal that answers the right creature, not just a creature. Pauper is where Celestial Flare has the most credible case: the card pool is thinner, evasive threats are more meaningful, and a forced sacrifice at instant speed can break through protection keywords that stump common removal. In Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, and Vintage it's outclassed by Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, and Fatal Push — there's no reason to run it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.25 bulk tier
At $0.25, Celestial Flare is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not power. It won't hold or gain value; pick it up only if you have a specific Pauper list that genuinely needs a non-targeting sacrifice effect at instant speed.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.