Temper
Instant
Prevent the next X damage that would be dealt to target creature this turn. For each 1 damage prevented this way, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Stronghold
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #28647
Temper puts a pile of +1/+1 counters on a creature you don't control, then lets you move those counters to one you do — it's a political tool and a pump spell in one, contingent on your opponent taking the bait. The setup requirement makes it too fragile for most Commander tables; better counter-manipulation exists.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Temper is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but sees essentially no competitive play in any of them. In Commander, the political angle is its only real selling point — gifting a threat with counters to curry favor, then harvesting those counters for your own creature is a cute two-step, but it requires your opponent to actually attack with the buffed creature before Temper's second trigger fires, which is far from guaranteed. Legacy and Vintage have no interest in a two-mana sorcery this conditional. Oathbreaker is the one format where a tight 60-card singleton list might find a niche for it in a +1/+1 counter shell, but even there it's a stretch.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Temper is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not functionality. That price is unlikely to move in either direction; niche political cards from older sets tend to stay flat indefinitely.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.