Ruinous Intrusion
Instant
Exile target artifact or enchantment. Put X +1/+1 counters on target creature you control, where X is the mana value of the permanent exiled this way.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Midnight Hunt Commander
- Price
- $0.71
- EDHREC rank
- #4878
Ruinous Intrusion destroys any artifact or enchantment and loads +1/+1 counters equal to its mana value onto a creature you control — the removal and the payoff arrive on the same card. In a deck built around Kyler, Sigardian Emissary, where every counter on a Human translates into a board-wide buff, that two-for-one effect is real value rather than a bonus.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kyler, Sigardian Emissary
Kyler, Sigardian Emissary turns every +1/+1 counter placed on a Human into a anthem for the whole team, so Ruinous Intrusion does double duty: it handles a threatening artifact or enchantment and immediately pumps your board through Kyler's ability.
Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Hakbal of the Surging Soul cares about Merfolk entering with counters and rewards stacking them, so Ruinous Intrusion slots in as removal that also advances the counters-matter gameplan Hakbal demands.
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave lives and dies by accumulating +1/+1 counters that persist through zones, and Ruinous Intrusion is one of the cleanest ways to clear an obstacle while directly growing Skullbriar in the same action.
Agatha of the Vile Cauldron
Agatha of the Vile Cauldron rewards creatures with high power and +1/+1 counters, so Ruinous Intrusion gives the deck a removal spell that simultaneously advances the counters density Agatha wants to exploit.
Kosei, Penitent Warlord
Kosei, Penitent Warlord needs to be loaded with counters before it becomes a combat threat, and Ruinous Intrusion answers hate pieces like Ghostly Prison or Ensnaring Bridge while stacking the counters Kosei requires.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Ruinous Intrusion earns its slot — the format is dense with problematic artifacts and enchantments, and any spell that handles one while fueling a counters strategy is pulling above its weight. The effect is efficient enough that decks not built around counters still consider it over narrower removal, since a free pump to any creature is rarely irrelevant. Outside Commander, Ruinous Intrusion is legal in Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but those formats either demand faster interaction or don't revolve around the counter synergies that make this card shine.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.71 bulk tier
At $0.71, Ruinous Intrusion sits firmly in bulk territory, which makes it an easy inclusion — you're not making a budget trade-off, you're just deciding whether the effect fits. Bulk removal with a meaningful upside tends to hold at this floor rather than drop further, so there's no reason to wait on picking it up.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.