Phantasmal Forces
Creature — Illusion
Flying
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice this creature unless you pay 
.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Unlimited Edition
- Price
- $2.99
- EDHREC rank
- #30379
Phantasmal Forces is a 4/1 flyer for four mana that drains one blue each upkeep or gets sacrificed — a steep ongoing tax that bleeds you of the blue mana you need to keep shields up. In any format past 1994, that deal is just bad; cheaper, unconditional flyers have made this obsolete.
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 |
Phantasmal Forces is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but legal isn't the same as playable. In Commander, a 4/1 with a cumulative upkeep-style blue drain is too fragile and too costly to maintain — the format's removal density means you'll pay the tax and still lose the creature. In Pauper, where blue aggro and tempo shells do exist, there are simply better common flyers at the same slot. Legacy and Vintage have no interest in a four-mana creature this conditional. Phantasmal Forces is a relic worth knowing about, not worth running.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$2.99 cheap tier
At $2.99, Phantasmal Forces sits in the cheap tier — but that price reflects collector and nostalgia demand, not competitive utility. Don't expect the rate to move on gameplay merit; it's a curiosity, not a staple.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.