Consume Strength
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Another target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BG
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Apocalypse
- Price
- $0.15
- EDHREC rank
- #26651
Consume Strength trades a creature you control for a -2/-2 hit on something you don't, netting a two-for-one only if the target dies — which it often won't. As a removal spell, it's too conditional; as a combat trick, it's too expensive at three mana.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Consume Strength competes against unconditional removal like Swords to Plowshares and Generous Gift, and it loses that comparison badly — paying three mana and a creature to maybe kill a target is not a deal worth taking in a 40-life format full of large bodies. Pauper is the one context where Consume Strength is at least plausible, since the card pool is shallow and Golgari sacrifice synergies can wring value out of the creature-as-fuel clause. Legacy and Vintage are legal but irrelevant — no competitive shell wants this over cheaper, unconditional options. Oathbreaker follows Commander's logic: pass.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.15 bulk tier
At $0.15, Consume Strength is firmly bulk, and that price reflects its power level accurately. Don't expect movement in either direction — it's not a card that gets rediscovered.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.