Lava Axe
Sorcery
Lava Axe deals 5 damage to target player or planeswalker.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Core Set 2019
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #17818
Lava Axe deals 5 damage to a player for five mana at sorcery speed — that's the whole card. In any format where better options exist, and they always do, this doesn't make the cut.
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 |
Lava Axe is unplayed across every competitive format despite being legal in Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Pauper, and Commander. In Commander specifically, 5 damage to one of four opponents at sorcery speed for five mana is too inefficient to matter — you need to affect the board or generate card advantage to justify that slot. Pauper is the one context where commons get a longer look, but even there, direct damage at this rate loses to burn spells that cost half as much and hit twice as efficiently. The card is a Limited filler piece that has never translated to constructed.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Lava Axe is deep bulk — the floor of Magic card pricing. That price reflects exactly what the market thinks of it, and nothing about its playability suggests it moves.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.