Contempt
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When enchanted creature attacks, return it and this Aura to their owners' hands at end of combat.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Stronghold
- Price
- $0.15
- EDHREC rank
- #26340
Contempt is a one-mana instant that taps a creature until end of turn — a pure tempo play with no permanent board impact. It delays a threat rather than answering it, which makes it a fine trick in formats where a single turn matters and a liability in Commander, where the same creature swings again next rotation.
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, Contempt sits at the bottom of the removal hierarchy — it buys exactly one turn of safety and leaves the problem alive for three other players to deal with, or not. Pauper is the format where Contempt finds real footing: one mana at instant speed can save a creature in combat, blank an attack, or protect a key piece at negligible deckbuilding cost. Legacy and Vintage both allow it, but neither format is short on better options at the same mana cost, so it rarely makes the cut outside of fringe tempo strategies.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.15 bulk tier
At $0.15, Contempt is bulk through and through — it costs less than a sleeve and trades accordingly. Bulk commons with narrow effects rarely climb in price, so grab a copy if you need it and don't expect the number to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.