Hero's Downfall
Instant
Destroy target creature or planeswalker.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #1925
Hero's Downfall kills any creature or planeswalker at instant speed for three mana — no conditions, no exceptions. The catch is the three-mana cost, which is real in a format where two-mana removal like Cast Down exists, but unconditional coverage including planeswalkers makes it a clean include in shells like Elenda, Saint of Dusk that need reliable answers on the board before their engine assembles.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Elenda, Saint of Dusk
Elenda, Saint of Dusk runs a tight life-gain and token engine that needs threats cleared before they outpace her growth, and Hero's Downfall's planeswalker coverage closes the gap that creature-only removal leaves open — a Liliana or Sorin left unanswered can dismantle the board state she's building toward.
Vincent Valentine
Vincent Valentine's gameplan leans on keeping the board clean while his own threats accumulate, and Hero's Downfall handles the planeswalkers that dodge every creature-based removal in the deck — clean, unconditional, and on their turn.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Hero's Downfall is a reliable role-player — three mana at instant speed to answer any creature or planeswalker is the kind of unconditional coverage that rarely loses value in a four-player game. In Pioneer, it competes in a removal suite where Infernal Grasp and Go for the Throat are cheaper but conditional, making Hero's Downfall the better call specifically when planeswalkers are on the other side of the table. Modern has outpaced it; Bloodchoke Expert and Fatal Push answer threats faster and cheaper, so Hero's Downfall rarely makes the cut there. Legacy and Vintage have access to Abrupt Decay, Vindicate, and Daze-backed threats that make three-mana sorcery-speed answers a luxury — instant here is the saving grace, but it still sits at the margins.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Hero's Downfall is deep bulk — there's no meaningful floor to fall through, and reprints haven't moved the needle in years. Pick it up freely; you're not racing a price spike, and the card earns its slot on function, not scarcity.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Elenda, Saint of Dusk
- Vincent Valentine
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.