Serpentine Ambush
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature becomes a blue Serpent with base power and toughness 5/5.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Innistrad: Double Feature
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #17841
Serpentine Ambush turns any creature you control into a 3/3 Snake token replacement — instant-speed, no mana investment beyond the initial cost, with the original creature heading to the graveyard. It's a narrow combat trick that doubles as a sacrifice outlet substitute, but the setup cost and telegraphed payoff keep it out of competitive lists.
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, Serpentine Ambush occupies a fringe role in sacrifice and aristocrats shells where converting a dying creature into a fresh 3/3 body has marginal board-state value, but purpose-built sacrifice outlets almost always do more work. In Pauper, where card efficiency is scrutinized at every mana value, the spell is too situational to slot into established aggro or control archetypes. Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, and Vintage have no realistic shell for Serpentine Ambush — the effect simply doesn't scale to the pace or power density those formats demand.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Serpentine Ambush is deep bulk — the kind of card you pull from a common box rather than buy. Don't expect the price to move; the narrow effect and limited competitive demand leave no upward pressure.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.