Skewer the Critics
Sorcery
Spectacle 
(You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Skewer the Critics deals 3 damage to any target.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Ravnica Remastered
- Price
- $0.27
- EDHREC rank
- #8584
Skewer the Critics deals 3 damage for one mana — as long as you've cast a spell this turn, which in any spell-slinging red deck is almost always true. Imodane, the Pyrohammer copies it to every opponent simultaneously, turning a cheap removal spell into a three-player threat for R.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Imodane, the Pyrohammer
Imodane, the Pyrohammer copies any instant or sorcery that deals damage to exactly one creature to every opponent, so Skewer the Critics becomes a one-mana, three-player burn spell the moment Imodane is on board. The spectacle cost is trivially met in that deck, making this one of the cleanest, cheapest payoffs in the 99.
Tor Wauki the Younger
Tor Wauki the Younger pings for 2 whenever you cast an instant or sorcery, and Skewer the Critics slots in as a one-mana spell that both triggers that ability and deals 3 on its own. The combined 5 damage for R — under spectacle — is the kind of efficiency that makes Tor Wauki the Younger decks so punishing to race against.
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, Skewer the Critics is a role-player rather than a staple — it earns its slot only in decks that consistently cast spells before it, and it's nearly automatic in Imodane, the Pyrohammer lists. In Pauper, it sits on the fringe of burn sideboards, edged out by Lightning Bolt in most builds but occasionally useful as copies five through eight of three-damage-for-one-mana. Modern and Legacy have access to strictly better options, so Skewer the Critics rarely sees competitive play in those formats. Pioneer is the format where it shows up most outside Commander, filling burn curves that can't run Bolt.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.27 bulk tier
At $0.27, Skewer the Critics is deep bulk — it's a pickup you throw in a cart to hit free shipping, not one you track. Bulk commons rarely move on price, so expect it to stay in this range indefinitely.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.