Power Sink
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 
. If that player doesn't, they tap all lands with mana abilities they control and lose all unspent mana.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #10329
Power Sink counters a spell and, if the opponent can't pay the extra mana, empties their mana pool — a two-for-one punishment that punishes tapped-out opponents harder than a straight Counterspell. The cost is real: against anyone with open mana it's just a Cancel, so it earns its slot only in decks that can exploit the X-spell dimension, and Zimone, Infinite Analyst is the clearest example of one that does.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Zimone, Infinite Analyst triggers off spells with X in their mana cost, so Power Sink doubles as a counterspell and a Zimone trigger, letting the deck hold up interaction without wasting a draw-engine activation.
Zaxara, the Exemplary
Zaxara, the Exemplary creates a Hydra token whenever you cast a spell with X in its cost, meaning Power Sink can generate a free creature while answering a threat — the tax clause is almost a bonus on top of a free body.
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Mizzix of the Izmagnus reduces the cost of instant and sorcery spells for each experience counter, and since Power Sink's total cost includes the X, a stacked Mizzix can leave up a meaningful counter on the cheap while the drain clause punishes anyone who tries to push through anyway.
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, Power Sink occupies a genuine niche: X-spell commanders like Zaxara, the Exemplary and Zimone, Infinite Analyst treat it as a counterspell that also advances their engine, which is the only context where it outperforms strictly better options. In Vintage and Legacy, the competition from Force of Will, Flusterstorm, and Counterspell is ruthless, and the conditional drain rarely matters at the speed those formats operate — Power Sink doesn't see play there. Pauper is the one non-Commander format where budget constraints make it a plausible sideboard consideration against tap-out combo, but even there it underperforms Prohibit in most spots.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Power Sink is deep bulk — easy to pick up in any common bin or as a throw-in. The price reflects its narrow application; it won't appreciate, but for the X-spell decks that actually want it, the cost of entry is essentially nothing.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Zimone, Infinite Analyst
- Zaxara, the Exemplary
- Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.