Purging Scythe
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, this artifact deals 2 damage to the creature with the least toughness. If two or more creatures are tied for least toughness, you choose one of them.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Urza's Saga
- Price
- $0.45
- EDHREC rank
- #29224
Purging Scythe kills the smallest creature on the board at the start of each upkeep — yours included — until it runs out of targets, and it does this for free, every turn, without requiring any additional mana investment. Six mana to deploy is the real cost, and that upfront tax is exactly why it sits on the fringe rather than the staple list.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Purging Scythe is a Commander card through and through — the repeating attrition engine only reaches critical mass in a multiplayer game where tokens, utility creatures, and mana dorks clutter multiple boards at once. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but competes with instant-speed interaction and faster clocks that make a slow, six-mana artifact look embarrassing. Oathbreaker shares enough of Commander's multiplayer dynamic that the Scythe has a plausible home there, particularly in decks that go tall and want opponents' go-wide strategies taxed over several turns.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.45 bulk tier
At $0.45, Purging Scythe is deep bulk — easy to pick up without a second thought. It's been at this price floor for years and is unlikely to move without a high-profile reprint pushing it into the spotlight, so grab it cheap and don't expect it to appreciate.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.