Path to Exile
Instant
Exile target creature. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Final Fantasy Commander
- Price
- $1.12
- EDHREC rank
- #15
Path to Exile is one of the cleanest single-target removal spells ever printed — one white mana, instant speed, exiles anything, no questions asked. The trade-off is real: handing an opponent a basic land can matter in competitive pods, and commanders like Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima that generate advantage on entry make that free fetch sting harder. Still, one mana to permanently remove any creature is the baseline every white deck measures itself against.
Where It Shines
Where the extra mana on turn one matters most
Big-mana shells like Kaalia of the Vast
Kaalia of the Vast decks run Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, and every other fast rock they can find, which means the basic-land rider on Path to Exile is almost irrelevant — by the time an opponent plays that land, Kaalia has already put an Angel into play for free. One-mana interaction that doesn't slow your own engine down is exactly what these aggressive, high-curve shells need.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Path to Exile is a staple for good reason: the format's 40-life totals and singleton rule mean exiling a commander cleanly — even at the cost of a basic land — is worth every penny of that one white mana. Modern is where the ramp rider has historically mattered most competitively, since giving an opponent a land on turn one can shift the tempo race, but the raw efficiency still keeps it on the edge of viable. Legacy fields enough degenerate permanents that unconditional exile at instant speed earns its slot regardless of the downside. Path to Exile is not legal in Pioneer, Standard, or Pauper, so its primary homes remain the eternal and multiplayer formats where one mana for an exile effect is simply too efficient to ignore.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.12 cheap tier
At $1.12, Path to Exile sits in the cheap tier — multiple reprints have kept it accessible without gutting its playability. It's a card you buy once and slot into every white Commander deck you build; at this price, there's no reason to run a worse substitute.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.