Expel
Instant
Exile target tapped creature.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Strixhaven: School of Mages
- Price
- $0.06
- EDHREC rank
- #18432
Expel exiles a tapped creature at instant speed for two mana — clean, permanent removal with no bounce-back risk. It's a solid role-player in white, though the tapped restriction keeps it from being unconditional.
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, Expel earns its slot in white decks that can reliably tap creatures before they untap — combat-heavy metas make the restriction largely irrelevant, and exile over destruction matters against recursive threats like Mikaeus, the Unhallowed targets or Atraxa, Praetors' Voice. In Pauper, it competes in a tight removal market and the tapped clause is a real cost against aggressive untap synergies, but the exile clause makes it distinctly better than Pacifism effects in that format. In Modern and Legacy, Expel is too conditional to see serious play — two mana at sorcery-equivalent timing can't compete with Path to Exile or Prismatic Ending. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read: useful, unpretentious role-player.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.06 bulk tier
At $0.06, Expel is pure bulk — you're not paying for the card, you're paying for the sleeve. Bulk commons don't appreciate; grab a copy because you need the effect, not because you expect it to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.