Hobbit's Sting
Instant
Hobbit's Sting deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of creatures you control plus the number of Foods you control.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth
- Price
- $0.35
- EDHREC rank
- #9034
Hobbit's Sting drains each opponent for 1 and creates a Food token every time a Food is sacrificed — a repeating life-and-drain engine stapled to a two-mana enchantment. In any deck built around Food sacrifice, it snowballs faster than the cost suggests, and Samwise Gamgee turns it into a win condition on its own.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee triggers Hobbit's Sting on every Food sacrifice, which in turn creates another Food, which triggers Samwise again — the loop drains the table while padding your life total, and it runs on its own momentum once established.
Merry, Warden of Isengard // Pippin, Warden of Isengard
Merry, Warden of Isengard // Pippin, Warden of Isengard generates Food steadily through combat triggers, giving Hobbit's Sting a reliable sacrifice outlet to drain opponents turn after turn without needing a dedicated engine.
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 |
Commander is where Hobbit's Sting actually matters — three opponents means each sacrifice drains for 3 total life, and Food-centric decks in the format generate enough tokens to make that add up fast. In Pauper it's legal but the format lacks the Food density to make it competitive, and there's no dedicated shell to slot it into. Legacy and Vintage have the card pool to support it but better ways to drain life, so it won't see play there. The card is locked out of Standard and Pioneer entirely.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.35 bulk tier
At $0.35, Hobbit's Sting is deep bulk — pick it up without thinking about it if you're building Food. Cards at this price tier rarely spike unless a new commander or precon creates sudden demand, and this one's ceiling is modest even then.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Samwise Gamgee
- Merry, Warden of Isengard // Pippin, Warden of Isengard
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.