Darkness Descends
Sorcery
Put two -1/-1 counters on each creature.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Lorwyn Eclipsed
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #11440
Darkness Descends puts -1/-1 counters on every creature an opponent controls for two mana — a sweeper-adjacent effect at instant speed that doubles as a -1/-1 counter engine. In The Scorpion God decks especially, this isn't a defensive tool; it's a trigger generator that refills your hand while clearing small blockers.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card for each creature that has a -1/-1 counter when it dies, so Darkness Descends across a full board can turn one spell into three or four cards while killing off the smallest threats.
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch wants repeated -1/-1 counter placement to fire her triggered abilities, and Darkness Descends hits every creature on an opponent's board at once — one spell stacks counters wide enough to chain multiple triggers in a single turn.
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons creates a 1/1 deathtouch Snake for each creature that receives a -1/-1 counter, so Darkness Descends against a creature-heavy board can flood the field with tokens in one shot.
The Reaper, King No More
The Reaper, King No More cares about creatures dying with -1/-1 counters on them, and Darkness Descends is a cheap, instant-speed way to load counters on a wide board before a wrath or combat step finishes them off.
Massacre Girl, Known Killer
Massacre Girl, Known Killer gives all your spells the ability to place -1/-1 counters when they kill creatures, but Darkness Descends front-loads those counters before any combat — setting up a cascade of deaths for Massacre Girl to exploit.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Darkness Descends earns its slot in -1/-1 counter strategies by combining instant-speed interaction with a trigger density that no single-target spell can match. Outside Commander, the card is legal in Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Standard, and Vintage, but dedicated -1/-1 counter synergies are thin in those formats and a two-mana sorcery-style effect — even at instant speed — rarely clears the bar in competitive 60-card environments. Pauper is the one format where it's off the table entirely. For now, Darkness Descends is effectively a Commander card wearing broader legality.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Darkness Descends is bulk — easy to pick up without a second thought. It's a recent printing with niche demand, so don't expect the price to move unless -1/-1 counter commanders spike in popularity.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.