Scalding Tongs
Artifact
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have three or fewer cards in hand, this artifact deals 1 damage to target opponent or planeswalker.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Tempest
- Price
- $0.47
- EDHREC rank
- #29363
Scalding Tongs deals 1 damage to a player each upkeep unless they have more cards in hand than you — a slow, conditional burn clock that rarely pressures anyone at a full Commander table. The effect is too easily neutered and too low-impact to justify the slot.
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 |
Scalding Tongs is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but sees meaningful play in none of them. In Commander, three opponents means three separate hand-size checks each turn cycle, and at least one of them will almost always hold more cards than you — the damage rarely connects. Legacy and Vintage move too fast for a 2-mana artifact that deals 1 damage conditionally and requires no interaction from the opponent to shut off entirely. Oathbreaker's smaller hand sizes and faster games make it equally irrelevant.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.47 bulk tier
At $0.47, Scalding Tongs sits firmly in bulk territory, and that price reflects its playability accurately. Don't expect it to climb — there's no competitive shell hunting for this effect.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.