Crack Open
Sorcery
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "
, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color.")
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Modern Horizons 2
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #8504
Crack Open destroys an artifact and puts a Clue onto the battlefield — removal that replaces itself is the baseline ask for Commander, and this clears that bar cleanly. Gimbal, Gremlin Prodigy decks treat it as premium removal because the Clue is itself an artifact, feeding Gimbal's triggered ability the moment you cash it in.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Gimbal, Gremlin Prodigy
Gimbal, Gremlin Prodigy triggers off artifacts entering and leaving, so Crack Open pulls double duty — the Clue token enters and later sacs to draw, generating two separate triggers while also killing an opposing artifact.
Jolene, the Plunder Queen
Jolene, the Plunder Queen cares about treasure production, but the Clue token from Crack Open slots neatly into her artifact-count scaffolding and gives her decks a way to answer early opposing mana rocks without falling behind on resources.
Rashmi and Ragavan
Rashmi and Ragavan runs Crack Open for the same reason it runs any cantripping removal — every spell that replaces itself keeps the hand full while contesting the board, and the artifact removal is relevant in a format full of Sol Ring and Arcane Signet.
Vazi, Keen Negotiator
Vazi, Keen Negotiator builds around treasures and political token-giving, and while Clues aren't treasures, Crack Open still earns its slot as low-cost artifact removal that doesn't leave Vazi's pilot empty-handed after casting it.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Crack Open is a solid role-player — artifact removal that leaves a Clue token passes the two-for-one test most pods demand, and at two mana it's efficient enough to run alongside heavier interaction. In Pauper, artifact removal is abundant and Crack Open competes with Dust to Dust and Gleeful Sabotage, so it's playable but not automatic. Legacy and Vintage have zero interest in sorcery-speed artifact removal at this cost — those formats demand Null Rod or Force of Will–level disruption, not card-draw consolation prizes. Crack Open is built for Commander and Pauper, and outside those two formats it's a card you leave in the binder.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Crack Open is deep bulk — the kind of card you pull from a common box without a second thought. Bulk commons with narrow utility rarely climb in price, so there's no reason to stock up beyond your immediate needs.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Gimbal, Gremlin Prodigy
- Jolene, the Plunder Queen
- Rashmi and Ragavan
- Vazi, Keen Negotiator
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.