Channeled Force
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard X cards.
Target player draws X cards. Channeled Force deals X damage to up to one target creature or planeswalker.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- RU
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #10334
Channeled Force lets you discard any number of cards, then draw that many and deal that much damage to any target — all at instant speed for four mana. The Emperor of Palamecia turns every discard into a free spell, making Channeled Force a draw engine and a burn spell that pays for itself in tempo.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Emperor of Palamecia
The Emperor of Palamecia triggers off every discard, so Channeled Force converts a hand dump into a cascade of free spells while simultaneously refilling and dealing damage — it's one of the most efficient single cards you can run in the deck.
Rielle, the Everwise
Rielle, the Everwise gets +1/+0 for each card in the graveyard and replaces the first discard each turn with a draw, so Channeled Force is a massive stat pump and a wheel effect stapled together.
Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot
Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot cares about casting instant and sorcery spells to grant prowess-style boosts, and Channeled Force delivers a discard outlet, card draw, and a damage vector in one spell — exactly the density Lilah wants.
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge rewards filling the graveyard and going wide with Pirates, and Channeled Force provides on-demand discard to fuel that graveyard while threatening a player or planeswalker in the same action.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Channeled Force is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, though it sees virtually no competitive play outside Commander. In 60-card formats the four-mana cost for a conditional wheel effect is too slow against the tempo and consistency of dedicated strategies. Commander is where it earns its slot — the combination of instant-speed draw, discard, and damage in one card is exactly the kind of modal flexibility multiplayer rewards. In Oathbreaker it functions similarly, though the smaller hand sizes reduce the ceiling on how much damage and draw you actually generate.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Channeled Force is firmly bulk — there's no financial barrier to picking up copies. Bulk rares with narrow homes rarely appreciate unless a new commander dramatically spikes their demand, so treat this as a role-player you grab for a specific deck rather than a long-term hold.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- The Emperor of Palamecia
- Rielle, the Everwise
- Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot
- Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.