Start from Scratch
Sorcery — Lesson
Choose one —
• Start from Scratch deals 1 damage to any target.
• Destroy target artifact.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Strixhaven: School of Mages
- Price
- $0.13
- EDHREC rank
- #19029
Start from Scratch destroys an artifact or enchantment and replaces itself with a card draw — two-for-one removal at instant speed for two mana. That rate is good enough to run in most red Commander decks without a second thought.
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, Start from Scratch earns its slot as an instant-speed answer that replaces itself — red has historically traded card disadvantage for speed, and this closes that gap. In Modern and Legacy, dedicated artifact hate runs cheaper and more explosive (Smash to Smithereens, Ancient Grudge), so Start from Scratch sits on the fringe at best. Pioneer has fewer busted artifact targets to police, making it too slow to justify maindeck inclusion. Vintage sees so much broken artifact activity that the card draw sweetens it marginally, but one-for-one removal rarely makes the cut there anyway.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.13 bulk tier
At $0.13, Start from Scratch is firmly bulk — pick it up without thinking twice. Bulk commons with functional upsides tend to stay cheap even if they see wider play, so don't expect the price to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.