Redcap Melee
Instant
Redcap Melee deals 4 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If a nonred permanent is dealt damage this way, you sacrifice a land.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Throne of Eldraine
- Price
- $0.15
- EDHREC rank
- #24908
Redcap Melee kills any red permanent or creature for one mana — the only cost is giving an opponent a Mountain, which matters far less in Commander than the tempo you gain. It's one of the cleanest cheap removal spells in red, full stop.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Redcap Melee earns a slot in any red deck that expects to face other red players — which, at most tables, is everyone. The Mountain clause is a rounding error when you're answering a commander or a Dockside Extortionist at instant speed for one mana. In Legacy and Vintage, it slots into sideboard strategies targeting red-heavy mirrors, though more surgical options often compete for that slot. Modern and Pioneer see it as a sideboard consideration against red aggro and burn, where trading a Mountain for a Goblin Guide or Eidolon of the Great Revel is straightforwardly correct. Across all formats, the card is at its best when the opponent is mono-red or heavily red — and at its worst when you're the only red player at the table.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.15 bulk tier
At $0.15, Redcap Melee is deep bulk — you're paying for the effect, not the card. Demand is too niche and supply too wide for this to move meaningfully in price unless a red-permanent-based strategy dominates a major format.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.