Failed Inspection
Instant
Counter target spell. Draw a card, then discard a card.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Kaladesh
- Price
- $0.07
- EDHREC rank
- #21452
Failed Inspection counters a spell and replaces itself — that combination of interaction plus card draw is exactly what blue control shells want. Three mana is a real cost, but the cantrip means you're never truly spending a card to answer one.
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, Failed Inspection earns its slot in decks that need to stay interactive without going card-negative — three mana is acceptable at a table where games run long and the draw clause keeps your hand full. In Pauper, the competition is stiffer: Counterspell and Exclude exist at common, and Failed Inspection has to fight for the third or fourth counterspell slot. Legacy and Vintage don't need it at all; the format staples are simply more efficient. Pioneer and Modern have enough modal interaction that a straight counter-and-draw at three mana sits on the fringe of playability.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.07 bulk tier
At $0.07, Failed Inspection is deep bulk — the kind of card you pick up by the handful from a commons box without thinking twice. Bulk commons don't appreciate, so there's no reason to hoard copies; just grab however many decks need.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.