Puncture Blast
Instant
Wither (This deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.)
Puncture Blast deals 3 damage to any target.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Eventide
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #17620
Puncture Blast deals 3 damage and slaps a -1/-1 counter on the target — two effects on one card, which is exactly why The Scorpion God wants it. Three mana for a sorcery-speed removal spell is a real cost, but the counter makes it pull double duty in the right shell.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card whenever a creature with a -1/-1 counter dies, so Puncture Blast functions as removal that replaces itself — kill a creature with 3 or fewer toughness and you immediately recoup a card.
The Reaper, King No More
Puncture Blast gives The Reaper, King No More a cheap way to place -1/-1 counters on demand, which can trigger death-and-counter synergies without requiring a combat step.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Puncture Blast is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker. In Pauper it competes in a crowded field of efficient red removal, and the sorcery speed plus three-mana cost mostly price it out — Skred and Lightning Bolt do the job faster. In Commander, Puncture Blast earns its slot almost exclusively in -1/-1 counter decks where the counter is as valuable as the damage; everywhere else, three mana at sorcery speed is below the format's power threshold for interaction.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
Puncture Blast sits at $0.22 — deep bulk, with no pressure pushing that number up. Pick it up without hesitation if you're building a -1/-1 counter deck; it will not get cheaper or harder to find.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- The Scorpion God
- The Reaper, King No More
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.