Rise to the Challenge
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Born of the Gods
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #25303
Rise to the Challenge gives a creature +2/+0 and first strike until end of turn for one red mana at instant speed — it's a combat trick that wins fights and enables surprise lethal. It's narrow enough that most Commander decks won't want it, but in the right aggressive or Voltron shell it punches above its bulk price.
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, Rise to the Challenge is a fringe inclusion — useful in Feather, the Redeemed lists that recur it for free, or Zada, Hedron Grinder shells that copy it across an army, but too low-impact for most 100-card builds where combat tricks generally underperform. In Pauper it competes in aggressive red decks that need cheap first-strike backup, though stronger options usually edge it out. Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer are too fast and too removal-heavy for a cantrip-less combat trick to earn a slot. Rise to the Challenge is at its best in formats and decks that reward spell recursion or mass copying — outside those conditions, it's filler.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Rise to the Challenge is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any common bin without thinking twice. The price reflects its narrow application, and there's no realistic pressure to move it upward.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.