Drannith Stinger
Creature — Human Wizard
Whenever you cycle another card, this creature deals 1 damage to each opponent.
Cycling 
(, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #12105
Drannith Stinger turns every cycling trigger into a free Shock to the face — one mana, no activation cost, just damage stacking up across a long game. In Gavi, Nest Warden lists where you're cycling for free every turn, that's a clock your opponents can't ignore.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Gavi, Nest Warden
Gavi, Nest Warden makes the first cycle each turn free, which means Drannith Stinger is dealing damage on your opponents' clocks without spending additional resources — it's the most consistent damage engine the archetype runs.
Brallin, Skyshark Rider // Shabraz, the Skyshark
Brallin, Skyshark Rider // Shabraz, the Skyshark already punishes opponents each time you discard to cycle, and Drannith Stinger layers a second source of damage onto the same triggers, compressing the clock without adding complexity.
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, Drannith Stinger is a role-player with a narrow but well-defined home — cycling-heavy Jeskai lists where the damage adds up over dozens of triggers across a full game. Outside of Commander, it sees virtually no competitive play; Pauper's burn and cycling shells have more efficient damage sources, and Modern and Pioneer don't run dedicated cycling-matters strategies at a level where a one-toughness 2/1 earns a slot. Legacy and Vintage have no interest. The card's ceiling is Commander, and even there it only earns a slot when the cycling density is high enough to make the drains meaningful.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Drannith Stinger is pure bulk — buy a playset without thinking about it. Bulk cycling payoffs don't spike; this sits at the bottom of the price floor and stays there.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Gavi, Nest Warden
- Brallin, Skyshark Rider // Shabraz, the Skyshark
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.