Radstorm
Instant
Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn.)
Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Fallout
- Price
- $8.92
- EDHREC rank
- #2843
Radstorm puts a radiation counter on each nonland permanent your opponents control — at instant speed, for three mana — making it one of the most efficient mass-proliferate triggers in Commander. Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus doubles every proliferate trigger, which means Radstorm alone can clock the entire table without touching combat.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus doubles every proliferate trigger, so Radstorm immediately places two radiation counters on each opposing permanent and then fires two separate proliferate events — that's the core reason it shows up in over half of all Tekuthal lists.
The Wise Mothman
The Wise Mothman cares deeply about spreading radiation counters as widely as possible, and Radstorm hits every nonland permanent across all opponents at once, making it one of the most efficient single-card setups for the Mothman's triggered ability.
Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres rewards proliferate with card draw, and Radstorm is a one-card source of both a new counter distribution and a follow-up proliferate trigger — exactly the kind of card-efficient play Ezuri decks want.
Geralf, the Fleshwright
Geralf, the Fleshwright generates Zombie tokens whenever opponents' creatures with counters die, so Radstorm's mass radiation placement sets up a board where nearly every opposing creature is primed to hand Geralf a token on removal or combat.
Fblthp, Lost on the Range
Fblthp, Lost on the Range cares about plotting and casting spells off the top, and Radstorm's instant-speed proliferate adds enough counter spread mid-combo that it earns its slot as a cheap, impactful proliferate piece in those decks.
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 |
Radstorm is a Commander card through and through — the multiplayer environment is the only place where hitting every opponent's nonland permanents simultaneously generates real value, and the proliferate synergy ecosystem (poison counters, planeswalkers, charge counters) runs deep in the format. In Vintage and Legacy it's legal but entirely unplayed; the effect is too slow and too narrow against focused two-player strategies where your opponent may have one or two relevant permanents. Oathbreaker is the one other format where Radstorm sees occasional interest, again because planeswalker loyalty counters and a wider board make the mass counter placement meaningful.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Infectious Bite and Spread the Sickness both offer proliferate stapled onto a removal effect for under $0.50, trading Radstorm's mass board coverage for targeted interaction. If you specifically need the wide counter distribution, Evolved Spinoderm and Contagion Clasp cover the proliferate angle at a fraction of the price, though neither replicates the instant-speed, board-wide radiation placement that makes Radstorm uniquely efficient in multiplayer.
Price Context
Current price
$8.92 mid tier
At $8.92, Radstorm sits in the mid tier — expensive enough to feel like a deliberate include, reasonable for the role it fills in dedicated proliferate and radiation builds. It's a niche card with a focused home, so price stability tracks with how many people are actively building Wise Mothman and Tekuthal decks rather than any broader demand.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.