Hindering Light
Instant
Counter target spell that targets you or a permanent you control.
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- UW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Breaking News
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #5366
Hindering Light counters a spell targeting your permanent and replaces itself — a two-mana Counterspell that draws a card whenever your opponent tries to remove something you care about. In any deck running enchantments or suited-up creatures, that condition is trivially easy to meet, making this one of the cleanest pieces of interaction available in Azorius.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rafiq of the Many
Rafiq of the Many turns every combat into a threat worth protecting, and Hindering Light answers removal or a Counterspell aimed at the combat step while keeping your hand full — exactly what a deck that wins through a single unblockable swing needs.
Eriette, the Beguiler
Eriette, the Beguiler's game plan lives and dies on keeping Auras on the battlefield, so Hindering Light doubling as removal protection and card draw is a natural fit for a deck that can't afford to lose its enchantments.
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Bruna, Light of Alabaster is a one-card threat that opponents have to answer immediately, and Hindering Light turns that predictable removal spell into a free card while keeping Bruna swinging.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Hindering Light earns its slot in any Azorius or Bant enchantress or Voltron build — the draw trigger fires constantly in a format where targeted removal is ubiquitous and card advantage is the currency of long games. In Pauper, it fits blue-white control as a cheap interactive spell that replaces itself, though the condition on the draw means it's dead against non-interactive matchups. Legacy and Vintage have access to harder countermagic, so Hindering Light doesn't make the cut there outside of fringe enchantment builds. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander closely enough that the same enchantment-heavy shells want it for the same reasons.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Hindering Light is bulk by any measure, so there's no financial barrier to picking up a copy. Bulk commons rarely spike unless a new commander pushes them into competitive demand, so expect the price to stay flat.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Rafiq of the Many
- Eriette, the Beguiler
- Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.