Reckless Impulse
Sorcery
Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.87
- EDHREC rank
- #2145
Reckless Impulse turns two mana into two cards — just spend them before your next upkeep or lose them. It's the red draw spell you run in every aggressive or spell-hungry Commander deck, and Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival loves it because both exiled cards can fire off the same turn you cast spells to trigger her.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival
Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival casts spells from exile to trigger her artifact and creature generation, so Reckless Impulse's two exiled cards are effectively two free triggers waiting to happen the same turn you cast it.
Ral, Monsoon Mage
Ral, Monsoon Mage counts every instant and sorcery toward his storm-style damage trigger, and Reckless Impulse fuels that count while finding the next spell to keep the chain going.
Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy rewards casting spells from exile, so Reckless Impulse doesn't just draw two cards — it converts them directly into on-theme payoffs.
Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald
Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald makes a Wolf token every time you cast a spell from exile, so Reckless Impulse is a two-mana spell that immediately sets up two free token triggers.
Prosper, Tome-Bound
Prosper, Tome-Bound generates Treasure whenever you cast a spell from exile, meaning Reckless Impulse's two exiled cards translate directly into two future Treasure triggers.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Reckless Impulse is a legitimate card-advantage spell in any red deck that can deploy two cards in a single turn — spellslinger, artifact, or aggro builds all qualify. Pauper is where it overperforms most: red has limited draw at common, and two cards for two mana at sorcery speed is a genuine rate. In Modern and Pioneer it sees fringe play in burn and prowess as a way to reload after emptying hand, though the turn clock constraint is punishing if you can't immediately use what you exile. Legacy and Vintage have access to strictly more efficient options, so Reckless Impulse doesn't crack those formats. Standard legality has lapsed, but it was a staple during its window.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.87 bulk tier
At $0.87, Reckless Impulse sits in true bulk territory — this is a pickup-without-thinking card for any red Commander deck that needs draw. Bulk rares with this level of Commander play tend to stay flat, so there's no urgency beyond just owning a copy when you need it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Pia Nalaar, Consul of Revival
- Ral, Monsoon Mage
- Gwen Stacy
- Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald
- Prosper, Tome-Bound
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.