Ostracize
Sorcery
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a creature card from it. That player discards that card.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Seventh Edition
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #23159
Ostracize strips a creature or planeswalker from an opponent's hand before it ever hits the board — for one black mana. The catch is it whiffs on everything else, and in Commander you're choosing one target out of three opponents' hands, which makes it a narrow, low-ceiling spell.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ostracize is too narrow to earn a slot — discard that can't hit artifacts, enchantments, or instants is a serious liability in a four-player format where you only get to pick one opponent's hand. Pauper is the format where Ostracize sees the most legitimate consideration, slotting into black discard suites where cheap, targeted hand disruption is at a premium. Legacy and Vintage have access to strictly better one-mana discard options, so Ostracize doesn't make the cut in either format. Oathbreaker is theoretically legal but shares Commander's multi-opponent problem — the same logic applies.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available for Ostracize at the moment, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for current listings. As a bulk common with narrow application, it typically runs well under a dollar.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.