Death Grasp
Sorcery
Death Grasp deals X damage to any target. You gain X life.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Vintage Masters
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #14233
Death Grasp deals X damage to any target and gains you X life for the same mana investment — it's a finisher, a removal spell, and a lifegain engine stapled together. In Commander, that flexibility at instant speed makes it a serious closer in any black-white shell that can generate large mana.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Death Grasp is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Commander is where it actually earns a slot. In 1v1 formats like Legacy and Vintage, a sorcery-speed X-spell that doesn't interact with the board on its own rarely competes with the raw efficiency of the format's staples. In Commander, the math changes: with 40 life totals and mana doublers on the table, Death Grasp can close out a game or eliminate a single opponent in one shot while padding your own life total. Oathbreaker is a reasonable home too, especially in a planeswalker-focused shell that can reach the mana to make the X meaningful.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current pricing data isn't available for Death Grasp, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the latest. It's an older card with low reprint equity, so supply is limited — don't expect to find it in bulk bins.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.