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Deflecting Swat

Instant

If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost.
You may choose new targets for target spell or ability.

CMC
3
Mana cost
{2}{R}
Color identity
R
Rarity
rare
Set
Avatar: The Last Airbender Eternal
Price
$75.06
EDHREC rank
#80
Buy on TCGplayer
Deflecting Swat card art
Deflecting Swat is the best free redirect spell in Commander — it changes the target of any spell or ability aimed at your commander at zero mana, often pointing an opponent's removal at one of their own creatures instead. Decks like Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept and Agrus Kos, Eternal Soldier run it at near-100% rates because the free-cast condition is trivially met and the redirect is unconditional. It does not counter spells — it reroutes them.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Rograkh, Son of RohgahhSilas Renn, Seeker Adept

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept

91.4% of decks · synergy 0.72

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept runs Deflecting Swat in over 91% of builds because Rograkh costs zero mana — you can hold up Deflecting Swat before you've spent a single land drop, making the free-cast condition active from turn one.

02
Dargo, the ShipwreckerTymna the Weaver

Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver

86.8% of decks · synergy 0.71

Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver is another partner pair where Deflecting Swat covers both axes — Tymna attracts removal constantly, and the free-cast condition is met the moment either commander is in play.

03
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorVial Smasher the Fierce

Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce

73.7% of decks · synergy 0.54

Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce is a combat-oriented pair that can't afford to lose its commanders mid-chain, so Deflecting Swat functions as a free answer that doesn't interrupt the attack step.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Deflecting Swat is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Commander is the only format where it's genuinely format-defining. In Legacy and Vintage, free spells compete against a much higher density of broken options and the commander-zone condition doesn't exist, so Deflecting Swat rarely makes the cut. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander dynamic closely — your planeswalker is always a target, and Deflecting Swat protects it for free. Modern, Pioneer, Standard, and Pauper are all off the table.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Budget Alternatives

Cheaper options that do most of the same work

Nothing fully replaces Deflecting Swat — the free-cast condition is the entire point, and no cheap card replicates it. Imp's Mischief is the closest functional substitute at under $4, redirecting spells targeting any permanent you control, though it costs two mana and requires black rather than red. If budget is the constraint, Misdirection is a free-cast option in blue that pitches another blue card, but the color restriction and pitch cost make it a clear step down.

Price Context

Current price

$75.06 premium tier

At $75.06, Deflecting Swat sits firmly in the premium tier — this is a card you buy once and slot into every deck that can cast it. It has never seen a widely distributed reprint at mythic rarity, which is why the price holds; demand is structural, not speculative.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.