Mercy Killing
Instant
Target creature's controller sacrifices it, then creates X 1/1 green and white Elf Warrior creature tokens, where X is that creature's power.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.32
- EDHREC rank
- #14758
Mercy Killing destroys any creature and replaces it with a swarm of 1/1 Elf Warrior tokens equal to that creature's power — handed directly to its controller. The catch is the price: those tokens go to your opponent, making this a political tool first and a removal spell second, best suited to decks that can immediately punish token production or outright gift the tokens as a calculated favor.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Phelddagrif
Phelddagrif is built around giving opponents resources as a political currency, and Mercy Killing fits that engine perfectly — it lets you pop a problematic creature while handing the tokens to whoever you want to keep friendly, reinforcing the hippo's signature "group hug with teeth" game plan.
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 |
Mercy Killing sees almost no play in Legacy, Modern, or Vintage — cheaper unconditional removal dominates those formats, and handing your opponent a pile of tokens is a liability when games end on turn three. Commander is where it lives, and even there it's a niche inclusion: decks that benefit from opponent token counts (Phelddagrif, Slurrk, token-doublers that affect all players) or want political leverage on a two-mana instant are its natural homes. Outside those specific shells, straightforward removal like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile is almost always the correct call.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.32 bulk tier
At $0.32, Mercy Killing is firmly bulk — you're paying essentially nothing for a card with a narrow but real use case. That price is unlikely to move; the card sees too little play across formats to generate demand pressure, so grab it if the synergy fits and don't think twice about the cost.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.