Quicken
Instant
The next sorcery spell you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash. (It can be cast any time you could cast an instant.)
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Duel Decks: Mind vs. Might
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #5745
Quicken lets you cast your next sorcery as though it had flash, then replaces itself — one mana for a timing window and a free card. It's narrow enough that only decks with a specific sorcery they need at instant speed bother, but Geralf, the Fleshwright is exactly that kind of deck, where flashing in a board-wide trigger on your opponent's turn is the whole point.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Geralf, the Fleshwright
Geralf, the Fleshwright wants to cast instants and sorceries on opponents' turns to generate zombies, and Quicken converts any sorcery in hand into a surprise threat during the end step before your turn — exactly the timing Geralf demands.
Eris, Roar of the Storm
Eris, Roar of the Storm rewards you for casting spells during other players' turns, and Quicken bridges the gap when your best spell happens to be a sorcery, turning a dead-timing card into a trigger source.
Gandalf of the Secret Fire
Gandalf of the Secret Fire cares about the first instant or sorcery you cast each turn, and Quicken lets you fire off a sorcery on an opponent's turn to double your trigger count across the table's full rotation.
Lord of the Nazgûl
Lord of the Nazgûl generates Wraiths whenever you cast an instant or sorcery, so Quicken slots in as a one-mana cantrip that produces a token and opens a flash window for whatever sorcery follows it.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Quicken is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but it earns its slot almost exclusively in Commander. In competitive Legacy and Vintage the effect is too narrow — those formats have enough actual instants that converting sorceries is rarely worth a card slot, and Quicken replaces itself only marginally. Modern and Pioneer share the same problem: the cantrip keeps it from being a pure tempo loss, but dedicated flash-matters or sorcery-timing payoffs are uncommon enough that it rarely makes the cut. Commander is where Quicken shines, specifically in decks whose commander creates an explicit incentive to cast sorceries on opponents' turns — if that trigger condition isn't in your command zone, you're better off with a straightforward cantrip.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Quicken is bulk — you're not paying for scarcity, you're paying for cardboard. That price is stable and will stay there; it's a narrow card with no competitive demand pulling it upward, so pick it up without hesitation if your commander calls for it.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.