Foul Play
Sorcery
Destroy target creature with power 2 or less. Investigate. (Create a Clue token. It's an artifact with "
, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Innistrad: Double Feature
- Price
- $0.38
- EDHREC rank
- #20254
Foul Play destroys any creature with power 2 or less and puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control — removal and a buff stapled together at two mana. It's efficient enough to run in black decks that care about counters, but narrow enough to miss the format's most threatening creatures entirely.
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, Foul Play occupies a specific niche: it answers utility creatures and mana dorks while growing one of your own, which is a reasonable rate in a format full of Birds of Paradise and Elvish Mystic. The power-2-or-less clause is the ceiling — Foul Play won't touch most late-game threats, so it earns its slot in counter-synergy builds rather than general removal suites. In Modern and Legacy, the competition is too stiff; Fatal Push and Infernal Grasp exist, and unconditional is better than efficient-plus-upside at those power levels. Pioneer gives it slightly more room, but the same logic applies — the restriction costs more than the +1/+1 counter pays back unless you're specifically building around it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.38 bulk tier
At $0.38, Foul Play is deep bulk — easy to acquire and easy to cut without financial regret. The price reflects its conditional nature accurately, and there's no reason to expect movement unless a dedicated counter-matters commander pushes demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.