Vanquish the Weak
Instant
Destroy target creature with power 3 or less.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Zendikar Rising
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #19877
Vanquish the Weak kills any creature with 3 or less power at instant speed for three mana — clean, unconditional within that range, and it hits far more creatures than the stat line suggests. Three mana is the ceiling for where this stops being acceptable in Commander, and it sits right at that line.
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, Vanquish the Weak earns its slot in black decks that don't have access to better unconditional removal — budget builds especially, where three mana for an instant-speed answer is a reasonable rate when you can't afford Infernal Grasp or March of Wretched Sorrow. The power-3-or-less clause stings more as the game goes long and commanders get buffed, but early-game utility on blocking a voltron threat or clearing a mana dork is real. In Pauper, the format's common-only card pool makes Vanquish the Weak legitimately competitive removal at a cost many decks can pay. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern have enough better options at the same or lower mana cost that it sees no meaningful play there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Vanquish the Weak is deep bulk — you're spending almost nothing to fill a removal slot. Bulk commons like this don't move in price; it's a pick-a-penny card at any LGS and stays that way.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.