Dark Betrayal
Instant
Destroy target black creature.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Pioneer Masters
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #22585
Dark Betrayal destroys any black creature for a single black mana — no targeting restrictions beyond color, instant speed, no frills. The catch is the catch: it does nothing against every non-black permanent on the board, which in a four-player Commander game is most of the table.
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 |
In Commander, Dark Betrayal earns a slot only in metas where black creatures dominate — mono-black decks, Grixis goodstuff piles, Erebos builds, and the like. Against a table with a single black commander, it sits in hand all game, which is a real cost for a removal slot. In Legacy and Vintage it sees no meaningful play because Fatal Push and Dismember exist and don't care about color. Pioneer and Modern offer the same problem: the card is cheap but too narrow when Push handles most threats cleanly. Dark Betrayal's best home is a Commander pod you've scouted — if two or three opponents are on Tymna, K'rrik, or Yawgmoth, it overperforms; otherwise, cut it for a removal spell that doesn't ask what color the threat is.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Dark Betrayal typically sits in bulk rare territory, usually under $0.50, which reflects its narrow playability accurately. At that price it's worth keeping a copy in a dedicated black-heavy meta deck, but there's no urgency to pick up multiples.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.