Nocturnal Raid
Instant
Black creatures get +2/+0 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Mirage
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #29776
Nocturnal Raid gives all your creatures +2/+0 and menace until end of turn — on the opponent's turn, as an instant, which is the whole point. At one black mana, the effect is cheap enough that holding up a single swamp to ambush blockers or push through a lethal swing is almost never a bad proposition.
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 |
Commander is where Nocturnal Raid earns its slot, specifically in black aggro and token-go-wide builds where an end-of-combat pump can convert a stalled board into a kill out of nowhere. Legacy and Vintage both technically support it, but neither format's aggro shells need this effect when they have access to faster, more redundant threats. Outside of Commander, Nocturnal Raid simply doesn't have a competitive home.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Nocturnal Raid is deep bulk — no reason to hunt for a cheaper version or wait on a reprint to pick it up. It's an easy include-or-ignore call with no meaningful financial stakes either way.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.