Deal Gone Bad
Instant
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. Target player mills three cards. (They put the top three cards of their library into their graveyard.)
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Foundations Jumpstart
- Price
- $0.06
- EDHREC rank
- #20045
Deal Gone Bad destroys target creature and puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control — a two-for-one stapled onto a single black spell. At four mana for a sorcery-speed removal spell with a minor upside rider, it's outclassed by Eaten Alive, Hero's Downfall, and a dozen other options that either cost less or hit more.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Deal Gone Bad competes in a removal slot that demands efficiency — four mana at sorcery speed is a real cost when opponents are threatening at instant speed on turns three and four. In Pauper, where the card pool is restricted, it becomes marginally more interesting in counter-synergy shells, but even there cheaper black removal dominates. Legacy, Modern, and Vintage don't want sorcery-speed four-mana removal under any circumstances. Deal Gone Bad is a draft-filler card that finds no competitive home in any format where better options exist.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.06 bulk tier
At $0.06, Deal Gone Bad is deep bulk — the price of a card nobody is seeking out. Don't expect it to move; demand simply isn't there to push a four-mana sorcery removal spell above bulk status.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.