Stinging Barrier
Creature — Wall
Defender (This creature can't attack.)
, 
: This creature deals 1 damage to any target.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Mercadian Masques
- Price
- $0.32
- EDHREC rank
- #26233
Stinging Barrier is a five-mana 0/4 defender that taps to deal 1 damage — a rate so far below the curve that almost nothing in Commander justifies the slot. The activated ability costs two mana per point of damage, which means you're looking at a soft lock piece only in niche ping-matters builds, not a generalist inclusion.
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 |
In Commander, Stinging Barrier sits at the extreme fringe — the one-damage-per-two-mana ceiling makes it unplayable in nearly every list, and the 0/4 body doesn't threaten enough to compensate. Pauper is the format where it has the most theoretical footing, since the card pool is shallower and defensive creatures with repeatable reach occasionally find homes in control shells, though even there better options exist. Legacy and Vintage are legal but irrelevant — the efficiency bar is simply too high for a five-mana do-nothing until you tap it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.32 bulk tier
At $0.32, Stinging Barrier is firmly bulk, and there's no pressure driving that price up — demand is low and supply is abundant. It's a safe pickup if you're building around a very specific ping synergy on a tight budget, but don't expect the price to move in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.