Tears of Valakut
Instant
This spell can't be countered.
Tears of Valakut deals 5 damage to target creature with flying.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Oath of the Gatewatch
- Price
- $0.12
- EDHREC rank
- #26097
Tears of Valakut deals 5 damage to a non-land, non-flying creature at instant speed for two mana — clean, efficient, and undercosted for what it does. The flying restriction keeps it out of generalist removal slots, but in any red deck that expects ground-based threats, it earns its slot.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Tears of Valakut slots neatly into red decks that need cheap instant-speed answers to creatures — the flying restriction rarely matters when the most dangerous commanders and utility creatures (Tymna, Thrasios, Magda) are all groundbound. In Modern and Legacy, the competition from Unholy Heat and Lightning Bolt is stiff enough that Tears of Valakut sees essentially no play. Pioneer is the closest case for consideration, but the restriction still makes it a sideboard card at best against creature-heavy aggro strategies that don't go aerial. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read: fine role-player, not a staple.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.12 bulk tier
At $0.12, Tears of Valakut is deep bulk — you're picking this out of a junk bin, not tracking it down. Bulk commons and uncommons with narrow restrictions don't appreciate, so treat it as a free include, not a pickup.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.