Slaughter
Instant
Buyback—Pay 4 life. (You may pay 4 life in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Exodus
- Price
- $3.98
- EDHREC rank
- #14292
Slaughter kills any nonblack creature outright for four mana — and if you have a spare life to pitch, you get it back next upkeep and do it again. Reusable unconditional removal is rare enough that the life loss is a price worth paying.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Slaughter earns its slot in mono-black and black-heavy decks that can absorb the recurring life cost — life total padding from Gray Merchant of Asphodel effects or high starting totals make the downside trivial. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but rarely want it; two-mana instant-speed options like Snuff Out or Dismember do the job faster at competitive parity. Slaughter's niche is the long game, where three or four activations over a multiplayer table outvalue any single-use spell.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$3.98 cheap tier
At $3.98, Slaughter sits at the low end of the mid-range bracket — cheap enough to slot in without budget scrutiny, but not bulk. The price is stable; it's an older card with low reprint pressure and a narrow but loyal audience in Commander.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.