Nightmare's Thirst
Instant
You gain 1 life. Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the amount of life you gained this turn.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Core Set 2019
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #18607
Nightmare's Thirst is a one-mana removal spell that kills a creature with power equal to or less than the amount of life you've gained this turn — free when you're gaining life in meaningful increments, dead in hand when you aren't. In dedicated lifegain decks it competes with the best cheap removal in black; outside them, cut it.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Nightmare's Thirst earns a slot only in dedicated lifegain builds — outside that archetype, one-mana removal with a conditional ceiling loses to unconditional options. In Modern and Pioneer, the card is legal but effectively unplayed; one-mana removal in those formats needs to answer a broader range of threats than lifegain strategies typically enable at instant speed. Legacy and Vintage have access to so much stronger removal that Nightmare's Thirst never enters the conversation. The card's real home remains Commander, where 100-card singleton formats reward synergy density and lifegain commanders generate the threshold reliably enough to make this feel unconditional.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Nightmare's Thirst is deep bulk — a throw-in at any card shop or a near-free pickup in any online order. Bulk commons with narrow conditions rarely appreciate, so buy it for the slot it fills now and don't expect the price to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.