Psionic Blast
Instant
Psionic Blast deals 4 damage to any target and 2 damage to you.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- special
- Set
- Time Spiral Timeshifted
- Price
- $6.85
- EDHREC rank
- #21335
Psionic Blast deals 4 damage to any target for two mana — legitimate reach in blue — but it deals 2 damage to you in return, a cost that matters more than it looks at a 40-life Commander table. It's a real card in the right shell and a liability in the wrong one.
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, Psionic Blast fills a niche blue almost never gets: direct, unconditional damage. Blue decks that want to close out a game by pinging a planeswalker or finishing off a low-loyalty threat will actually use this, especially in spellslinger shells that count instants. In Legacy and Vintage, the card is legal but irrelevant — four damage for two mana with a self-damage rider isn't competing with the efficient removal those formats offer. Modern is the same story: legal, unplayed. Psionic Blast is a Commander card first and foremost, and even there it earns its slot only when the 2-damage drawback is something you can recoup or ignore.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
If the self-damage clause on Psionic Blast is a problem, Lavaball Trap and similar burn spells cover the damage-to-any-target role at lower price points, though they require red in your identity. Strictly within blue, Witness Protection and other permanent-based answers handle threats differently but dodge the life payment entirely — the honest trade-off is that nothing in mono-blue cleanly replicates four direct damage at instant speed for two mana.
Price Context
Current price
$6.85 mid tier
At $6.85, Psionic Blast sits in the mid tier — pricey for a card that sees narrow play and deals damage back to you. The price is driven by novelty and Commander curiosity rather than competitive demand, so it's a fine pickup if the effect fits your deck but not one to speculate on.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.