Deny the Witch
Instant
Counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered ability. Its controller loses life equal to the number of creatures you control.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BUW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Warhammer 40,000 Commander
- Price
- $0.91
- EDHREC rank
- #9248
Deny the Witch exiles a nonland permanent your opponents control — not destroys, exiles — and staples a Vigilance anthem onto every creature you control until end of turn. The cost is three mana at sorcery speed, which is the real ask; Inquisitor Greyfax decks absorb that cost easily because the anthem directly fuels vigilance-matters triggers.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Inquisitor Greyfax
Inquisitor Greyfax cares deeply about vigilance, and Deny the Witch delivers a board-wide vigilance pump at the same moment it removes a threat — so one sorcery clears an obstacle and untaps your whole squad for blocks in the same turn.
Marneus Calgar
Marneus Calgar runs a token-heavy go-wide strategy where every creature on board translates the Deny the Witch anthem into a meaningful combat swing, and the clean exile clause handles indestructible threats that token decks otherwise can't answer.
Soundwave, Sonic Spy
Soundwave, Sonic Spy builds around artifact creatures, and Deny the Witch gives the deck a removal spell that simultaneously pumps the whole team with vigilance — relevant because keeping attackers untapped for defense matters in a strategy that wants to preserve its board state.
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 |
Deny the Witch is a Commander card through and through — exile-based removal that doubles as a combat trick scales well in a multiplayer game where indestructible permanents and recursion make destroy effects look weak. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but competes against far more efficient interaction and will never see play in those formats. Commander and Oathbreaker are the only realistic homes, and even there it's best in decks that actively reward vigilance rather than decks that just want clean removal.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.91 bulk tier
At $0.91, Deny the Witch sits at the top edge of bulk — cheap enough to slot in without a second thought, but not so low that it's a filler pick. The price reflects a card with a real niche rather than broad appeal, so it should stay in this range unless a vigilance-centric commander breaks out.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Inquisitor Greyfax
- Marneus Calgar
- Soundwave, Sonic Spy
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.