Cut // Ribbons
Sorcery // Sorcery
Cut deals 4 damage to target creature.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BR
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Amonkhet Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #8093
Cut // Ribbons is two spells in one: a clean three-mana removal spell on the front half and a scalable life-drain finisher on the back half that wins games from the command zone area. Commanders like Rowan, Scion of War slash the life-payment cost of Ribbons to near-zero, and Lord of the Forsaken turns the graveyard recursion angle into a mana engine — run it in any black deck that expects to reach six-plus mana.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rowan, Scion of War
Rowan, Scion of War's ability reduces spell costs by the life paid this turn, so Ribbons becomes nearly free when you've already spent life elsewhere — Cut // Ribbons essentially gives Rowan decks both a removal spell and a game-ending drain for trivial mana.
Anhelo, the Painter
Anhelo, the Painter's casualty mechanic copies instants and sorceries when you sacrifice a creature, and Ribbons is a sorcery — Anhelo, the Painter can double the drain trigger to knock two players out simultaneously, making Cut // Ribbons one of the more punishing top-ends in the 99.
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 |
Commander is where Cut // Ribbons does its best work: 40 starting life means Ribbons can close games that combat couldn't, and the graveyard half pairs naturally with the self-mill and life-payment themes common in black. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but rarely seen — three mana for a 3/3 fight effect is too slow when Fatal Push and Swords to Plowshares exist, and the drain half never resolves quickly enough. Modern and Pioneer are similar stories; Cut // Ribbons shows up in fringe life-drain builds but holds no competitive footprint in either format. Oathbreaker gives it another home, particularly in Planeswalker-centric black shells that want reach, but Commander remains its natural habitat.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Lord of the ForsakenCut // Ribbons
Each opponent loses the game; Near-infinite lifeloss
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Price data isn't available in our current feed, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the latest numbers on Cut // Ribbons. Given its age and the number of reprints black split cards have received, it's typically an easy pickup under a few dollars — worth confirming before you go hunting.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Lord of the Forsaken
- Rowan, Scion of War
- Anhelo, the Painter
- Yavimaya Bloomsage // Channel
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.