Splendid Agony
Instant
Distribute two -1/-1 counters among one or two target creatures.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Amonkhet Remastered
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #14284
Splendid Agony distributes two -1/-1 counters across any number of targets for three mana — and in the right deck, that's two free tokens off Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons before the spell even resolves. Efficient, flexible, and purpose-built for counter-synergy shells; it's a staple in its archetype, not a budget filler.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Every -1/-1 counter Splendid Agony places on a creature triggers Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons — so a single cast produces up to two Snake tokens while also handling two small threats or shrinking two blockers.
The Scorpion God
Splendid Agony feeds The Scorpion God's draw engine directly: each counter placed on an opponent's creature sets up a card draw when that creature dies, and the flexible targeting lets you spread counters to accelerate multiple kills in a single turn.
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 |
Splendid Agony is a Commander card first and foremost — outside of dedicated -1/-1 counter synergies, a three-mana instant that deals at most two damage across two bodies is too slow to compete in Legacy, Vintage, or Modern, where removal is expected to trade up in mana efficiency. In Pauper it's legal and sees niche play in Golgari -1/-1 counter shells, but even there it competes with cleaner options. Commander is where it earns its slot, specifically in Hapatra or Scorpion God lists where each counter placed is a triggered ability waiting to happen.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Splendid Agony isn't available in the current feed, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the latest. As a common with a narrow but real archetype home, it typically sits well under a dollar and is safe to pick up as a bulk acquisition for any -1/-1 counter build.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
- The Scorpion God
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.