Misdirection
Instant
You may exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Change the target of target spell with a single target.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins
- Price
- $10.55
- EDHREC rank
- #1643
Misdirection redirects any spell that targets a single target onto a new one — for free, pitched from your hand — making it one of the most efficient pieces of interaction blue can run. In Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow decks it pulls double duty: protecting Yuriko from removal while flipping a high-CMC card off the top for damage.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow needs her ninjutsu loop intact, and Misdirection stops a removal spell cold without spending mana — crucial when you're holding up tempo plays instead of counterspell mana. The high converted mana cost on the flipped card is a bonus in the damage-trigger math.
Talion, the Kindly Lord
Talion, the Kindly Lord punishes opponents for casting spells with the chosen number, and Misdirection lets you redirect those same spells back into that punishment window — or simply protect Talion from a kill shot without tapping out.
Katara, Waterbending Master
Katara, Waterbending Master cares about casting spells at instant speed and keeping a chain going, making free interaction like Misdirection ideal since it doesn't break the tempo or cost a mana you'd rather spend on the next link.
Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator runs a spell-slinging, treasure-generating engine where mana efficiency is everything, and Misdirection's pitch cost means reactive protection without sacrificing the resources that fuel the combo.
Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Azami, Lady of Scrolls sits in a tap-heavy engine that rarely wants to leave mana open for conventional counterspells, so Misdirection's alternative cost sidesteps that constraint entirely and keeps the draw engine spinning.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Misdirection is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker — and it earns its slot most convincingly in Commander, where the pitch cost is a genuine advantage because mana is at a premium and the targets worth redirecting (Cyclonic Rift, removal aimed at your commander, tutors) appear every game. In Legacy, free interaction has a higher bar to clear, and Misdirection competes with Force of Will and Daze for pitch-spell slots; it sees occasional play in specific shells but is far from a staple. Vintage runs so many broken effects that redirecting a spell is often less useful than outright countering it, so Misdirection is mostly a fringe option there. Outside those older formats, it's not legal anywhere else.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Deflecting Swat fills the closest role — also free to pitch, also redirects targeted spells — and often costs less depending on print run, though it requires a commander in play to pitch. Bolt Bend does similar work for a single red mana or free with four power on board, but the color restriction cuts it out of most blue-only shells that want Misdirection in the first place.
Price Context
Current price
$10.55 mid tier
At $10.55, Misdirection sits in the mid tier — not a throwaway include, but not a budget-breaker either. It's held this range consistently because the effect is genuinely unique and the card has limited reprint history, so the price is unlikely to crater without a new printing.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
- Talion, the Kindly Lord
- Katara, Waterbending Master
- Francisco, Fowl Marauder // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
- Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.