Sphinx's Decree
Sorcery
Each opponent can't cast instant or sorcery spells during that player's next turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Rivals of Ixalan
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #23388
Sphinx's Decree shuts down every opponent's instants and sorceries for a full round — no counterspells, no removal, no combat tricks — at the cost of two white mana at sorcery speed. That window is narrow but real, and in the right moment it functions as a one-sided Silence that covers the entire table.
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 |
Sphinx's Decree is a niche piece in Commander, where its value peaks in the turn before you go off — opponents can't respond to your combo setup or protect their own boards while you develop. In Legacy and Vintage it's too slow and too situational to compete with Silence itself, which costs one less and can be pitched to Force of Will. Modern and Pioneer offer more viable spell-heavy metas, but again, Silence is strictly cheaper for the same role. Commander is the one format where the multi-opponent clause genuinely upgrades the effect, hitting three targets at once instead of one.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Sphinx's Decree is firmly bulk — easy to pick up and easy to cut without regret. There's no demand pressure that would push this higher, so treat it as a cheap experiment rather than a stable staple.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.