Defiant Strike
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- War of the Spark
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #5623
Defiant Strike replaces itself immediately and pumps a creature — one mana, zero card disadvantage. In most decks that's a fine combat trick; in Feather, the Redeemed it becomes a repeatable draw engine that pays for itself every turn.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Feather, the Redeemed
Feather, the Redeemed returns Defiant Strike to hand at end of turn, turning a one-mana cantrip into a permanent draw loop that also triggers any prowess or spell-matters payoffs on the board.
Elsha, Threefold Master
Elsha, Threefold Master rewards casting instants and sorceries for value, and Defiant Strike slots in as a one-mana cantrip that triggers Elsha's storm-counting and spell-chaining gameplan without eating meaningful resources.
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, Defiant Strike is a role-player rather than a staple — the cantrip effect only earns a slot when the deck has a specific reason to cast instants repeatedly, and Feather, the Redeemed is the clearest example. In Pauper, it sees fringe play in aggressive white strategies that want cheap cantrips to fuel prowess creatures. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern all have strictly better one-mana cantrips, so Defiant Strike doesn't compete there. Pioneer falls in the same camp — the card is legal but rarely correct when more powerful options exist.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Defiant Strike is deep bulk — grab a copy out of any common bin without a second thought. Bulk commons don't appreciate, but there's no reason to pay more than this anywhere.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.