Crossbow Ambush
Instant
Creatures you control gain reach until end of turn. (They can block creatures with flying.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Stronghold
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #24972
Crossbow Ambush lets your creatures deal damage equal to their power to target flying creature — at instant speed, for one green mana. It's a narrow trick that only answers fliers, and in a format full of cheaper, more flexible removal, it rarely makes the cut.
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 |
Crossbow Ambush is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but its playability is low across all of them. In Commander, reach effects and universal removal are plentiful enough that a sorcery-speed-equivalent effect locked to flying targets doesn't earn a slot. Pauper is the most realistic home — green has fewer clean answers to fliers at common, and one mana is a real rate — but even there, better options exist. Legacy and Vintage offer so much interaction that Crossbow Ambush never sees competitive play.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Crossbow Ambush is pure bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not power. The price reflects its narrow application accurately and isn't likely to move without an unlikely spike in demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.