Recoil
Instant
Return target permanent to its owner's hand. Then that player discards a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BU
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Dominaria Remastered
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #16351
Recoil bounces any permanent — not just creatures — and forces a discard if the opponent can't return it to hand, making it tempo and hand pressure in one spell. Three mana at instant speed in Dimir colors is a fair rate for that range of targets.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Recoil punches above its weight because permanents across the table are often irreplaceable — bouncing an opponent's Smothering Tithe and forcing the discard is a two-for-one that costs three mana at instant speed. The discard clause rarely whiffs in a format where hands stay full through draw engines. In Pauper, Recoil sees occasional play in Dimir tempo shells where forcing discards compounds with other hand-disruption. Legacy and Vintage have access to far more efficient interaction, so Recoil doesn't compete there outside of niche lists.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Recoil is pure bulk — no reason to think twice about sleeving it up. The price reflects casual demand rather than competitive scarcity, and it's stable there.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.