Scorpion's Sting
Instant
Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Marvel's Spider-Man
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #14462
Scorpion's Sting deals 2 damage and places a -1/-1 counter on a creature — two effects stapled together for three mana at sorcery speed. Cheaper, faster removal handles each effect independently better than this handles them together.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Scorpion's Sting competes in a format where most threats have five or more toughness, so the 2 damage rarely kills anything on its own and the -1/-1 counter is incidental gravy. Decks built around -1/-1 counter synergies — Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons or Atraxa, Praetors' Voice builds — get the most mileage here, since the counter actually triggers payoffs. Outside those shells, Scorpion's Sting is too narrow and too slow to justify a slot. In Pauper, where it is legal, cheap interaction rules and sorcery-speed two-damage rarely makes the cut over burn spells that go to the face.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Scorpion's Sting is deep bulk — you're not paying for power, you're paying for cardboard. It holds that price floor comfortably given it sees negligible competitive play, so don't expect movement in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.