Traitorous Instinct
Sorcery
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. Until end of turn, it gets +2/+0 and gains haste.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Return to Ravnica
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #19163
Traitorous Instinct steals a creature and grants it haste and +2/+0 until end of turn — functional removal that also swings for damage. Four mana is on the expensive side for this effect, and the temporary nature means it rarely closes games on its own.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Traitorous Instinct occupies a crowded tier of red Act of Treason effects — it does the job, but Claim the Firstborn and Threaten do it cheaper, and Harness by Force does it more flexibly. Pauper is where Traitorous Instinct is most at home, since the card pool at common narrows the competition and four-mana sorceries are more acceptable when the format moves slower. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer it has no realistic claim on a slot — the formats move too fast for a sorcery-speed, single-target steal at this cost. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read: playable filler if your commander rewards stealing creatures, cut the moment you have access to better options.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Traitorous Instinct is pure bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not the effect. It holds no value to speak of, but that also means you can slot it in without any budget consideration while you track down a stronger replacement.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.