Sudden Setback
Instant
The owner of target spell or nonland permanent puts it on their choice of the top or bottom of their library.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Murders at Karlov Manor
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #21952
Sudden Setback bounces a nonland permanent and makes its controller discard a card — two-for-one disruption on a single two-mana instant. It's a solid tempo play in blue, though it doesn't permanently answer anything, which keeps it out of the top tier of interaction.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Sudden Setback is a reasonable budget inclusion — the bounce-plus-discard package disrupts combo players at instant speed, which matters when someone is going off at table. Competitive formats like Legacy and Modern have more efficient options (Dress Down, Counterspell) that make Sudden Setback a fringe consideration at best. Pioneer and Standard give it more room to breathe, where tempo spells at two mana with upside are harder to find. Across all formats, the ceiling is 'good role-player, never a staple.'
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Sudden Setback is deep bulk — you're not paying a premium for anything here. The price reflects its modest power level, and there's no meaningful upside pressure pushing it higher.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.