Spawn of Mayhem
Creature — Demon
Spectacle 
(You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Flying, trample
At the beginning of your upkeep, this creature deals 1 damage to each player. Then if you have 10 or less life, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Ravnica Allegiance Promos
- Price
- $1.37
- EDHREC rank
- #10181
Spawn of Mayhem lands as a 3/3 flying trampler that drains a life and grows every upkeep — and it costs one less for each point of life your opponents have lost. In Rakdos, Lord of Riots builds, the damage prerequisite is trivially met, making this reliably a two-mana 4/4 or better by turn three.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rakdos, Lord of Riots
Rakdos, Lord of Riots needs opponents to take damage before he can attack, and Spawn of Mayhem provides exactly that ping — meaning Spawn isn't just a threat, it's also enabler, paying for itself and unlocking your commander on the same upkeep.
Abaddon the Despoiler
Abaddon the Despoiler rewards casting spells with mana value equal to the highest poison counter count on your opponents, and Spawn of Mayhem's Spectacle mechanic means you're consistently casting it for two or three — feeding Abaddon's cascade trigger while presenting a self-growing air threat.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Spawn of Mayhem punches well above its mana cost: three opponents losing life from combat, pings, or incidental damage means Spectacle fires almost automatically, and the upkeep drain compounds across a 40-life game. In Pioneer and Modern, it sees only fringe play — aggressive black decks can trigger Spectacle early but generally prefer one-drops that close faster than a slow-growing 3/3. Legacy has the tools to make it work but rarely bothers when the format's threats are more immediately lethal. Spawn of Mayhem is a Commander card in practice, even if the rules allow it elsewhere.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.37 cheap tier
At $1.37, Spawn of Mayhem is cheap for the rate it offers — a self-reducing, self-growing evasive threat with incidental life drain. That price is unlikely to spike absent a reprint ban on something above it, but the low floor makes it a trivial include that won't stress any budget.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.