Reckoner's Bargain
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact or creature.
You gain life equal to the sacrificed permanent's mana value. Draw two cards.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.96
- EDHREC rank
- #3541
Reckoner's Bargain sacrifices an artifact or creature to draw two cards and gain life equal to that permanent's mana value — immediate card advantage at instant speed for two mana. It's a staple in graveyard and sacrifice shells, and Greasefang, Okiba Boss decks run it because pitching a high-mana-value Vehicle to the graveyard is exactly where you want it.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Greasefang, Okiba Boss
Greasefang, Okiba Boss wants large Vehicles in the graveyard to reanimate, and Reckoner's Bargain turns any Vehicle into two cards plus life while depositing it exactly where the engine needs it.
Imskir Iron-Eater
Imskir Iron-Eater rewards sacrificing artifacts and creatures for value, and Reckoner's Bargain slots directly into that loop — converting a spent permanent into two fresh cards at instant speed.
Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist
Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist cares about high-mana-value permanents entering and leaving play, so Reckoner's Bargain doubles as a sacrifice outlet and a card refill that syncs with the cost-matters gameplan.
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, Reckoner's Bargain earns its slot in any sacrifice or graveyard deck that can reliably feed it a high-mana-value permanent — two cards at instant speed is efficient, and the life gain is relevant in a four-player format. In Pauper, it competes in the common-only card draw pool and sees play in artifact sacrifice lists where the life padding matters against aggressive matchups. Modern and Pioneer have faster, more focused draw spells, so Reckoner's Bargain is too conditional to break through those formats outside of dedicated synergy builds. Legacy and Vintage move too quickly for a two-mana sorcery-speed-equivalent payoff with a sacrifice requirement attached.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.96 bulk tier
At $0.96, Reckoner's Bargain sits at the top of the bulk tier — cheap enough to pick up without thought, but not so ubiquitous that it's a penny card. It holds that price on the back of steady demand from Greasefang and sacrifice Commander lists, so don't expect it to drop further.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Greasefang, Okiba Boss
- Imskir Iron-Eater
- Xu-Ifit, Osteoharmonist
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.