Swift Maneuver
Instant
Prevent the next 2 damage that would be dealt to any target this turn.
Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Coldsnap
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #28658
Swift Maneuver redirects damage from any source to a creature you control, turning a lethal hit on your commander or a key attacker into a manageable trade. At one white mana instant-speed, the efficiency is real — the ceiling is saving your general from a burn spell or combat math that would otherwise kill it.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Swift Maneuver earns a slot in decks that protect a single high-value creature — voltron builds and combat-centric generals that can't afford to lose their engine to a targeted damage spell. In Pauper it's legal but too narrow; damage redirection rarely lines up cleanly enough to justify a card, and better protection exists at the same price. Legacy and Vintage have no interest — the effect doesn't touch the format's actual threats. Swift Maneuver is a Commander card wearing a multi-format legal badge.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Swift Maneuver is deep bulk — pick it out of a commons box, not a store page. Niche instants at this price point don't move unless a commander breaks them wide open, and nothing on the horizon does that here.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.