Ertai's Scorn
Instant
This spell costs 
less to cast if an opponent cast two or more spells this turn.
Counter target spell.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Dominaria United
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #8904
Ertai's Scorn counters a spell or permanent and replaces itself — that combination of disruption and card advantage is the whole argument. Baral, Chief of Compliance reduces it to one blue mana with a loot on top, which makes it one of the cleanest includes in any Baral list.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Baral, Chief of Compliance
Baral, Chief of Compliance cuts Ertai's Scorn to one blue mana and turns every counter into a free loot — it's one of the highest-synergy includes in the deck because it functions as both disruption and card selection simultaneously.
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 |
In Commander, Ertai's Scorn earns its slot as a two-mana hard counter that replaces itself — a low bar to clear in blue control shells and a high floor relative to situational alternatives. In competitive 60-card formats like Modern and Legacy, the cantrip isn't enough to push it past Counterspell or Force of Negation, both of which offer more efficiency or a broader safety net at the same or lower effective cost. Pioneer is where Ertai's Scorn is most likely to see fringe action, since the format's counter suite is thinner and the card-neutral problem is real enough that the loot matters. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read — redundant counter that keeps your hand stocked.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Ertai's Scorn is bulk — easy to acquire and easy to justify as a slot filler in any blue control build. Bulk rares at this synergy level rarely spike unless a format breaks them wide open, so treat it as a cheap pickup that earns its place on rate, not scarcity.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.