The Abyss
World Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, destroy target nonartifact creature that player controls of their choice. It can't be regenerated.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Masters Edition III
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #20662
The Abyss forces each opponent to sacrifice a non-artifact creature at the start of their upkeep — every upkeep, forever — which dismantles creature-based strategies faster than almost any other enchantment at one mana pip and three generic. The catch is symmetry: if you're running creatures yourself, you feel it too, which means The Abyss rewards non-creature or artifact-creature shells that can run it without paying the tax.
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 |
In Commander, The Abyss is a slow-rolling engine of attrition — it doesn't win games by itself, but it makes winning nearly impossible for anyone leaning on creatures, and in a four-player pod that pressure compounds each turn cycle. Legacy is the other meaningful home, where it anchors control shells that want to lock the board after resolving a threat-light game plan. Vintage is legal but the format's speed and density of broken permanents makes a three-drop enchantment a fringe inclusion at best. Outside those three formats, The Abyss simply isn't legal.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't currently available for The Abyss, but as an original dual-era Reserved List card it has historically commanded a significant premium — expect three-figure territory at minimum, with Near Mint copies often running considerably higher. There is no reprint path, so if you need it, you pay what the market asks.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.