Ray of Ruin
Sorcery
Exile target creature, Vehicle, or nonbasic land. Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom.)
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Price
- $0.06
- EDHREC rank
- #23363
Ray of Ruin destroys a nonland permanent and cycles when you have no cards in hand — two modes stapled together, but neither is strong enough to justify a slot in competitive Commander. At three mana for a sorcery-speed removal spell with a conditional upside, it's outclassed by nearly every removal option in black or red.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Ray of Ruin is legal across every major format, but that breadth doesn't translate to relevance. In Commander, unconditional removal at three mana sorcery speed is already a low bar, and the cycling trigger requiring an empty hand makes the upside unreliable when you need it most — mid-game, when hands are full. Pauper is the one format where the card-advantage floor matters more and removal options are narrower, but even there better commons exist. Outside of budget Pauper brewing, Ray of Ruin doesn't clear the bar in any 60-card format where cheaper or more flexible removal is everywhere.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.06 bulk tier
At $0.06, Ray of Ruin is deep bulk — it costs less than a sleeve. That price will hold because demand won't move it; this is a card you find at the bottom of a trade binder, not one you seek out.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.