Finishing Blow
Instant
Destroy target creature or planeswalker.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Core Set 2021
- Price
- $0.12
- EDHREC rank
- #23283
Finishing Blow destroys any creature or planeswalker — no exceptions for indestructible, no targeting restrictions — for five mana at sorcery speed. That unconditional range is real, but five mana at sorcery speed is a steep ask when four-mana instants with similar reach exist.
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, Finishing Blow competes in a crowded slot: most black decks can find unconditional removal at lower mana values or instant speed, so Finishing Blow lands in the second tier of considerations rather than the auto-include pile. In Pauper, the commons removal suite is constrained enough that hitting planeswalkers and creatures on the same card has real value, and the format's slower pace makes five mana less punishing. Everywhere else — Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, Vintage — the format speed makes sorcery-speed five-drops for removal unplayable, and Finishing Blow sees essentially no competitive play there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.12 bulk tier
At $0.12, Finishing Blow is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. That price is stable by definition; unconditional removal at common doesn't spike, and there's no meaningful ceiling to push against.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.