Ruinous Path
Sorcery
Destroy target creature or planeswalker.
Awaken 4—
(If you cast this spell for , also put four +1/+1 counters on target land you control and it becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Battle for Zendikar Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #16563
Ruinous Path kills a creature or planeswalker at sorcery speed — the wake-up rider is real upside, but that sorcery restriction is the entire cost of admission. In Commander it's a solid role-player, not a premium slot.
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 |
Ruinous Path is most at home in Commander, where the card pool is deep enough that sorcery-speed removal is accepted and the planeswalker clause has genuine targets across any given table. In competitive 1v1 formats like Modern and Legacy, the sorcery speed is close to disqualifying — Assassin's Trophy and Fatal Push do more for less at instant speed. Pioneer is the one 60-card format where it sees occasional fringe play, mostly in midrange shells that can't access the best black options, but it's never a first pick. Oathbreaker sits close to Commander in feel, so the same logic applies: fine, not exciting.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Ruinous Path sits in bulk-rare territory — typically a quarter or less — which makes it an easy include when you're building on a budget and need planeswalker coverage. At that price it's always worth picking up, but don't pay more than bulk for it given how many cleaner options exist at similar or lower cost.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.