Vassal's Duty
Enchantment
: The next 1 damage that would be dealt to target legendary creature you control this turn is dealt to you instead.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Champions of Kamigawa
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #29121
Vassal's Duty redirects damage that would hit your commander to you instead, effectively turning your life total into a shield that keeps your commander on the battlefield. Four mana for a static enchantment that does nothing without a commander under threat is a steep ask, and in most games it reads as a do-nothing until someone swings specifically at your general.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Vassal's Duty is a Commander-only card in practice — Legacy, Modern, and Vintage have no commander zone, so the effect is completely blank in those formats. In Commander, it occupies a narrow slot: pillow-fort and voltron shells are the only homes where keeping a specific creature alive justifies four mana and a card, and even there, boots and hexproof equipment accomplish the same goal more efficiently. Oathbreaker is the one other format where the effect is live, and the smaller starting life total makes burning through your life as a redirect noticeably riskier.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Vassal's Duty is deep bulk — you'll find it in bulk bins rather than singles pages. Demand is too narrow to push the price anywhere meaningful, so it stays at this floor indefinitely.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.