Magmaquake
Instant
Magmaquake deals X damage to each creature without flying and each planeswalker.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Starter Commander Decks
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #5150
Magmaquake clears the board of every flying blocker and planeswalker simultaneously — at instant speed, for as much mana as you want to spend. Atarka, World Render decks run it because nothing else at this price point handles both threat types in one card without touching your own ground-based dragons.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Atarka, World Render
Atarka, World Render attacks through the air and demands a clean path — Magmaquake wipes opposing flyers and any planeswalkers that would otherwise survive the combat step, all without touching the dragons you've built around.
Lathliss, Dragon Queen
Lathliss, Dragon Queen builds a wide board of creatures that largely don't fly into the red zone themselves, so Magmaquake handles aerial opposition and planeswalkers while leaving the token army intact.
Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients
Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients rewards dealing non-combat damage to your own creatures, and Magmaquake can be pointed to trigger that engine while simultaneously clearing the skies of anything threatening the attack.
Ganax, Astral Hunter // Acolyte of Bahamut
Ganax, Astral Hunter // Acolyte of Bahamut generates Treasure off dragon ETBs, and Magmaquake converts that mana sink into a scalable board wipe that spares the ground-based dragon army doing the work.
Syrix, Carrier of the Flame
Syrix, Carrier of the Flame triggers off phoenix deaths and wants the board clear for recursive attackers — Magmaquake is an instant-speed answer to flying blockers and planeswalkers that synergizes cleanly with the death-and-return loop.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Magmaquake is a Commander card almost by definition — its scalability and instant speed are most relevant in a 40-life multiplayer format where planeswalkers accumulate and a single board wipe needs to earn its slot over targeted removal. In Legacy and Vintage it's simply outclassed: those formats move faster than an X-spell on the draw, and anything flying that matters can usually be answered cheaper. Modern has better options at every price point on the curve. Oathbreaker is the one other home worth noting, since planeswalker-heavy pods exist and Magmaquake hits both the walkers and their aerial protection in one shot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Magmaquake is deep bulk — you're not paying for the card, you're paying for a sleeve. Bulk rares at this price rarely spike unless a new commander pushes them into mass demand, and Magmaquake's niche is narrow enough that it stays affordable indefinitely.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Atarka, World Render
- Lathliss, Dragon Queen
- Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients
- Ganax, Astral Hunter // Acolyte of Bahamut
- Syrix, Carrier of the Flame
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.