Stinging Shot
Instant
Put three -1/-1 counters on target creature with flying.
Cycling 
(, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #21489
Stinging Shot kills a flying creature and puts a -1/-1 counter on it for one green mana — that's a clean two-for-one effect at instant speed in decks that care about counters. In Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons specifically, that incidental counter triggers a snake token, turning a removal spell into a threat.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons triggers off every -1/-1 counter placed on any creature, so Stinging Shot does double duty: it removes a flying blocker and produces a deathtouch snake in the same motion, advancing the board while answering a threat.
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, Stinging Shot is a narrow sideboard-style card — the flying restriction means you're cutting it from most lists in favor of unconditional removal unless your deck actively wants the -1/-1 counter. Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons builds are the clear exception, where the counter trigger makes Stinging Shot punch above its cost. In Pauper, flying creatures are ubiquitous enough that Stinging Shot earns real consideration, and one mana at instant speed is a legitimate rate for green's removal toolkit. Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer have access to more efficient options, so Stinging Shot stays on the bench in those formats outside fringe counter-synergy builds.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Stinging Shot is deep bulk — you'll find it in any common bin. It won't appreciate in value, but in the decks that want it, the cost of entry is low enough that there's no reason not to own a copy.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.