Specter's Shriek
Sorcery
Target opponent reveals their hand. You may choose a nonland card from it. If you do, that player exiles that card. If a nonblack card is exiled this way, exile a card from your hand.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Throne of Eldraine
- Price
- $0.06
- EDHREC rank
- #26314
Specter's Shriek strips a nonland card from an opponent's hand and, if you reveal a black card to pay the additional cost, exiles that card instead of putting it in the graveyard — shutting off recursion and graveyard synergies in one shot. One mana for targeted discard that doubles as graveyard hate is a real rate, and the condition is trivially met in any black-heavy shell.
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, Specter's Shriek is a surgical tool: one mana to excise a combo piece, a reanimation target, or a haymaker before it ever hits the board. The exile rider matters most here because graveyard loops are endemic to the format, and stranding a Thassa's Oracle or Sundering Titan in exile is a meaningful outcome. In Legacy and Vintage, it competes directly with Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek, where the one-life payment on Thoughtseize is almost always preferable to revealing a card from your hand — so Specter's Shriek is a fringe inclusion at best. Modern and Pioneer follow the same logic: conditional discard that costs you card information loses to the established options in those formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.06 bulk tier
At $0.06, Specter's Shriek is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any common box. The price reflects low competitive demand, not low utility, so if you need the effect in a casual black shell it's essentially free to acquire.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.