Startle
Instant
Target creature gets -2/-0 until end of turn. Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token with decayed. (It can't block. When it attacks, sacrifice it at end of combat.)
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Innistrad: Double Feature
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #14740
Startle blocks a creature and replaces itself — instant-speed interaction that costs you nothing in cards. In Geralf, the Fleshwright builds, the discard clause is the point: pitch a creature to fuel zombie token generation while cantripping back to parity.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Geralf, the Fleshwright
Geralf, the Fleshwright triggers off noncreature spells cast, and Startle delivers twice — a discard outlet to stock the graveyard with creatures and a cantrip that keeps the hand full while spinning the engine.
Anhelo, the Painter
Anhelo, the Painter rewards instants and sorceries with casualty, and Startle is a cheap, self-replacing instant that doubles as a combat trick — copying it means two bounce effects and two fresh draws for the cost of one sacrificed creature.
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 |
In Commander, Startle is a role-player in decks that want to discard creatures — primarily Dimir and Grixis reanimator or zombie tribal builds where the pitch cost is a feature, not a drawback. In Pauper, bounce-cantrips see real consideration and Startle competes with Snap and Vapor Snag; the discard clause is too costly there when your hand is your resource. Competitive formats like Modern and Legacy have no use for it — the bounce is temporary, the bounce targets are too dangerous to leave alive, and better cantrips exist at every turn.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Startle is deep bulk — you're paying for a slot, not a card. The price is stable and likely permanent; there's no scarcity driver, and it sees enough casual Commander play to keep it from hitting true quarter-bin floor but not enough to push it higher.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.