Death Stroke
Sorcery
Destroy target tapped creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Tempest Remastered
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #23418
Death Stroke destroys any tapped creature for two mana — no targeting restrictions, no conditions beyond the tap — making it one of the most efficient conditional removal spells in black. The catch is real: your opponent controls when their creatures are tapped, so Death Stroke lives or dies by your ability to force that condition.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Death Stroke is a Pauper staple in aggressive black shells where opponents are swinging into you and tapped creatures are a reliable resource. In Commander, it earns a slot primarily in decks that generate forced attacks — Goad effects, Disrupt Decorum, or combat-step tricks — because a four-player table means something relevant is almost always tapped at the right moment. Legacy and Vintage have it available but wouldn't touch Death Stroke when Fatal Push and Dismember exist at the same or lower cost without conditions. Outside those formats, it's not legal, and it wouldn't be competitive if it were.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Price data for Death Stroke isn't currently available, but as a common with narrow application it typically sits well under a dollar. Pick it up if you're building a budget black deck that can reliably exploit tapped creatures — otherwise it's easy to pass on.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.