Shoot the Sheriff
Instant
Destroy target non-outlaw creature. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws. Everyone else is fair game.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Outlaws of Thunder Junction
- Price
- $0.39
- EDHREC rank
- #4097
Shoot the Sheriff kills any non-Outlaw creature at instant speed for two mana — clean, efficient, and free of the usual color restrictions that make black removal stumble on its own threats. Laughing Jasper Flint decks run it at nearly 60% inclusion because it doubles as removal and a trigger for outlaw-matters synergies in the same motion.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Laughing Jasper Flint
Laughing Jasper Flint rewards you for committing crimes, and Shoot the Sheriff is a one-card crime that also clears blockers — it's the kind of removal slot that actually advances the engine rather than just answering threats.
Olivia, Opulent Outlaw
Olivia, Opulent Outlaw cares about Outlaws dealing damage to opponents, and keeping the board clear of blockers is how that plan stays online — Shoot the Sheriff handles any non-Outlaw threat at instant speed without pulling you off the Outlaw theme.
Marchesa, Dealer of Death
Marchesa, Dealer of Death triggers off opponents losing life, and committing crimes to enable her draw and death triggers is the whole game — Shoot the Sheriff slots in as removal that also checks the crime box on command.
Gisa, the Hellraiser
Gisa, the Hellraiser generates Zombie tokens when Outlaws you control deal combat damage, so clearing blockers before attacks is critical — Shoot the Sheriff does that at instant speed without touching the Outlaws doing the work.
Vihaan, Goldwaker
Vihaan, Goldwaker animates Treasure tokens into attacking Outlaws, and the attack plan collapses if the path isn't clear — Shoot the Sheriff is cheap, instant-speed interaction that keeps the board manageable without competing for the Outlaw slots Vihaan needs.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Shoot the Sheriff is a role-player in any black-red shell running the Outlaw subtype — the instant speed and two-mana cost are exactly what crime-matters commanders want from a removal slot. In competitive 60-card formats like Modern and Legacy, it's too narrow: the non-Outlaw restriction means it whiffs on format staples like Orcish Bowmasters or Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, and black has cleaner unconditional options at the same cost. Pioneer and Standard are the friendliest non-Commander homes since the Outlaw type is more deliberately designed into those environments, but even there it sits on the fringe of sideboards rather than main decks. It's not legal in Pauper, which is where budget two-mana removal actually sees the most pressure.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.39 bulk tier
At $0.39, Shoot the Sheriff is firmly bulk — easy to acquire as a four-of without any budget concern. Bulk removal with narrow tribal restrictions rarely climbs in price unless the theme explodes in a major format, so treat it as a pickup-and-forget inclusion rather than a spec.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.