Rending Flame
Instant
Rending Flame deals 5 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If that permanent is a Spirit, Rending Flame also deals 2 damage to that permanent's controller.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Innistrad: Crimson Vow
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #22596
Rending Flame deals 5 damage to a creature or planeswalker and can't be prevented — it kills regenerators, indestructible-via-prevention, and protection-from-red targets that most red removal whiffs on. Three mana for a clean answer is fair, not efficient, but the damage ceiling earns its slot in red decks that need to punch through protection.
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, Rending Flame occupies a narrow but honest role: five damage hits most utility creatures and planeswalkers at sorcery speed, and the prevention-immunity matters more in a 100-card format where opponents can tutor up specific answers. In competitive formats like Modern and Legacy it's strictly outclassed — Lightning Bolt and Unholy Heat do more for less. Pioneer is the same story. Rending Flame's best home is casual Commander where the extra mana is irrelevant and the unconditional damage text occasionally wins a game that Shock would lose.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Rending Flame is deep bulk — zero barrier to entry for any red deck that wants it. Price won't move; it's a common with narrow competitive appeal and no spike demand to drive it upward.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.