Rackling
Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Construct
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, this creature deals X damage to that player, where X is 3 minus the number of cards in their hand.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Nemesis
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #22535
Rackling turns any opponent's empty hand into a guaranteed 2 damage per upkeep — a passive clock that compounds fast in wheels and discard builds. The cost is a three-mana 2/1 body that dies to anything, so it earns its slot only if the deck keeps hands empty consistently.
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 |
Commander is where Rackling actually does work — four opponents means four upkeep triggers whenever hands hit empty, and wheel-heavy or forced-discard builds can make that a repeating drain engine. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but irrelevant; dedicated discard shells have faster, more resilient threats, and a 2/1 with no protection dies before the second trigger lands. Oathbreaker is the one other format worth mentioning, since its lower life totals make the incremental drain meaningful sooner.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Rackling is deep bulk — you're paying for a staple slot in a niche archetype, not a spec. It's unlikely to move unless a pushed hellbent or discard commander drives sudden demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.