Paroxysm
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, that player reveals the top card of their library. If that card is a land card, destroy that creature. Otherwise, it gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Exodus
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #29810
Paroxysm turns any creature into a temporary powerhouse that destroys itself at end of turn — you get the attack, they lose the blocker, and the enchantment replaces itself with a card. The catch is timing: the creature is gone whether the attack hits or not, so you're trading a body for damage and a draw.
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 |
Paroxysm is a Commander card in practice. The format's singleton rule and slower pace let you build around the sacrifice trigger deliberately, and commanders like Marchesa, the Black Rose make the self-destruct clause a feature rather than a drawback. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but competes with far more efficient interaction and will never see a registered list. Oathbreaker follows Commander's logic closely enough that the same synergy shells apply, though the smaller deck size makes it easier to assemble the pieces.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Paroxysm is deep bulk — you'll find it in a dollar box before you bother ordering it. Bulk rares with narrow applications rarely appreciate, so treat it as a free inclusion if you already own one.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.