Duty Beyond Death
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.
Creatures you control gain indestructible until end of turn. Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy those creatures.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven Mystical Archive
- Price
- $0.37
- EDHREC rank
- #3150
Duty Beyond Death lands a +1/+1 counter on a target creature and gives it indestructible until end of turn — relevant protection and a permanent buff stapled to one mana. Zurgo, Thunder's Decree decks run it because the effect is cheap enough to hold up reactively while still advancing the counters gameplan.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zurgo, Thunder's Decree
Zurgo, Thunder's Decree rewards stacking +1/+1 counters and punishes opponents for removing your creatures — Duty Beyond Death answers both asks simultaneously, adding a counter while making the target indestructible through the turn it's targeted.
Felothar, Dawn of the Abzan
Felothar, Dawn of the Abzan cares about creatures leaving the graveyard and about +1/+1 counters, so Duty Beyond Death earns its slot by keeping key creatures alive long enough to generate value rather than becoming graveyard fodder at an inconvenient time.
Sephiroth, Fallen Hero
Sephiroth, Fallen Hero scales with +1/+1 counters and benefits from creatures surviving combat, making Duty Beyond Death a one-mana way to push through a counter and protect the piece that matters most in a given combat.
Felisa, Fang of Silverquill
Felisa, Fang of Silverquill generates Inklings when creatures with counters die, so Duty Beyond Death creates a decision point for opponents — remove the creature anyway and feed Felisa, or let it live with a counter.
Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam
Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam builds around accumulating counters across multiple creature types, and Duty Beyond Death slots in as cheap, instant-speed insurance that also advances the counter count rather than just treading water.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Duty Beyond Death is legal across every major Constructed format but sees essentially no play outside Commander — one mana for a counter and indestructible is fine, not broken, and sixty-card formats demand efficiency that pushes you toward unconditional protection or dedicated counter engines, not hybrid effects. In Commander, the calculus shifts: the instant speed matters, the permanent counter matters, and one mana is low enough to hold up without sacrificing your turn. It earns its spot specifically in decks where +1/+1 counters do work and targeted removal is a constant threat — not in every white deck, but in the right shell it's a clean, cheap answer.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.37 bulk tier
At $0.37, Duty Beyond Death is bulk — low enough that there's no financial reason to hesitate if the deck calls for it. Bulk rares at this price don't typically climb unless a commander breaks them wide open, so treat it as a freely replaceable role-player rather than a long-term hold.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.