Retaliate
Instant
Destroy all creatures that dealt damage to you this turn.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Fifth Dawn
- Price
- $0.63
- EDHREC rank
- #23221
Retaliate turns a board wipe into a board state — every creature you lost comes back as a 1/1 white Soldier token, replacing itself one-for-one at instant speed. Four mana for this effect is fair, and in Commander where wraths are constant, Retaliate converts the most punishing moment of the game into free fodder.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Retaliate actually earns a slot — multiplayer tables run enough board wipes that holding up four mana after a wrath pays off almost every game, and the tokens it generates feed sacrifice engines, go-wide finishers, or simply rebuild your board faster than opponents expect. In Legacy and Vintage it's essentially unplayable; the formats move too fast and wrath effects aren't a primary axis. Modern has enough sweepers to make the effect conceivable, but four mana at instant speed is a steep ask in a format that punishes defensive reactive cards without a threat attached. Retaliate is a Commander card through and through.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.63 bulk tier
At $0.63, Retaliate sits in bulk rare territory and is easy to pick up without thinking twice. The price reflects its narrow application — it's a strong Commander include for the right deck, but low demand outside that format keeps it cheap.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.