Specter of the Fens
Creature — Specter
Flying
: Target opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Strixhaven: School of Mages
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #25469
Specter of the Fens drains one life per swamp you control at the cost of six mana — a payoff that demands a near-mono-black shell to matter at all. Outside of dedicated Swamp-counting lists, the rate is too slow and too conditional to compete for a 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 |
Specter of the Fens is legal in every major format but only meaningfully playable in Pauper and Commander. In Pauper, mono-black control lists can hit enough Swamps by turn six to make the drain relevant, and the format's lower power ceiling gives the effect room to breathe. In Commander, it belongs strictly in mono-black decks with 30-plus Swamps — anything less and the drain is two or three life per trigger at best, which doesn't justify the slot at six mana. Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer have no interest in a six-mana do-nothing-on-resolution enchantment when the formats move faster and spend that mana on game-ending threats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Specter of the Fens is deep bulk — you'll find it in a common box before you'd bother ordering it. The price is stable simply because there's no pressure on supply and no competitive demand to move it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.