Steal Strength
Instant
Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Another target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #29517
Steal Strength shifts a net four points of combat math in your favor — stealing +2/+2 from a blocker while giving it to your attacker — all for two mana at instant speed. It's a combat trick that punishes a specific board state hard, but it does nothing outside of creature combat, which keeps it out of most Commander lists.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Steal Strength is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, and it's Pauper where it has the most credibility — aggressive creature decks can exploit the instant-speed tempo swing to punch through stalled boards. In Commander, the effect is too narrow: four-player tables generate too many non-combat threats, and spending a card slot on a combat trick that requires both sides to have relevant creatures is a poor investment. Legacy and Vintage have more efficient ways to win combat or remove blockers entirely, so Steal Strength doesn't register there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Steal Strength is deep bulk — you'll find it in commons boxes for less than the listed price. There's no demand driver that would move it off the floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.