Deflecting Palm
Instant
The next time a source of your choice would deal damage to you this turn, prevent that damage. If damage is prevented this way, Deflecting Palm deals that much damage to that source's controller.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- RW
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Commander Legends
- Price
- $4.21
- EDHREC rank
- #1190
Deflecting Palm turns a lethal alpha strike into a two-mana kill spell aimed back at the attacker — the damage is prevented, then dealt to that creature's controller at the same magnitude. It's one of the most efficient combat tricks in Boros colors, and Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser makes it a near-auto-include by forcing attacks that beg to be punished.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser compels opponents to attack each other, and Deflecting Palm converts that mandatory combat into a two-mana death sentence for whoever swings the biggest threat. The forced-attack engine guarantees you'll always have a target worth reflecting.
Queen Marchesa
Queen Marchesa's politics table runs hot with large attacks aimed at the monarch, and Deflecting Palm punishes anyone who tries to take the crown through brute force. Reflecting a commander-damage swing or a pumped beater back at its owner buys both life and political leverage.
General Ferrous Rokiric
General Ferrous Rokiric builds a board of Golems that draw aggression, so Deflecting Palm sits perfectly as a combat trick that discourages opponents from attacking into the pile. When someone tries to punch through anyway, it bounces the damage right back for a clean two-for-one.
Firesong and Sunspeaker
Firesong and Sunspeaker cares about red damage spells, and Deflecting Palm qualifies — when it resolves, the redirected damage triggers lifelink and the burn-back rider. That interaction turns a defensive play into incidental life gain and an extra three damage on top.
Wyleth, Soul of Steel
Wyleth, Soul of Steel suits up and swings for enormous numbers, which paints a target and invites chump-blocks and combat tricks from opponents. Deflecting Palm in the same color pair protects Wyleth's controller from retaliatory alpha strikes that would otherwise close the game.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Deflecting Palm earns its keep — one-shot kills are common, alpha strikes happen every game, and two mana to neutralize a lethal attack while dealing equivalent damage to the player behind it is an absurd rate. In Modern and Pioneer, combat tricks compete against a faster clock and counterspell-heavy fields, which limits Deflecting Palm to dedicated combat-focused sideboards at best. Legacy and Vintage are too spell-dense and fast for a reactive instant that does nothing outside of combat to see meaningful play. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander's dynamics closely enough that the card is just as strong there, especially in Boros signature-spell slots that want to punish creature-heavy metas.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$4.21 cheap tier
At $4.21, Deflecting Palm sits comfortably in the cheap tier — a reasonable ask for a card that sees play in nearly 80% of Nelly Borca decks and over 60% of Queen Marchesa lists. Demand is steady enough from Commander staple status that the price is unlikely to crater, but it's no financial commitment either way.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.