Show of Valor
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+4 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Magic 2014
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #24688
Show of Valor is a two-mana instant that puts two +1/+1 counters on a creature — functional, but barely worth a card slot in most contexts. Combat tricks at this rate are too low-impact for Commander and too replaceable in competitive formats to earn a serious 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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Show of Valor is bulk filler in Commander, where two counters on a single creature won't move the needle against three opponents and a board full of threats. In Pauper it's legal but competes with better combat tricks at the same cost, and the lack of a relevant secondary effect keeps it off most lists. Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, and Vintage all have access to cards that do more for the same or less mana, so Show of Valor doesn't see play in any of them. Oathbreaker operates closer to Commander in density of threats, so the same problem applies there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, Show of Valor is deep bulk — the kind of card that fills a draft chaff box, not a trade binder. That price won't move; there's no demand driver that would push a vanilla counter spell above bulk floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.