Vexing Arcanix
Artifact
, 
: Target player chooses a card name, then reveals the top card of their library. If that card has the chosen name, that player puts it into their hand. Otherwise, they put it into their graveyard and this artifact deals 2 damage to them.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Eighth Edition
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #27998
Vexing Arcanix forces every opponent to either pay two life or sacrifice a permanent whenever you cast an instant or sorcery — at three mana, that tax scales brutally in a four-player game. Run it in any blue-black spellslinger shell and it becomes a must-answer threat that punishes opponents for ignoring it.
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 |
In Commander, Vexing Arcanix is at its best — three opponents each facing repeated life-or-sacrifice decisions turns every Brainstorm or removal spell into a game-wide drain. Legacy and Vintage are both legal formats, but neither wants a three-mana enchantment that doesn't immediately protect itself or generate card advantage in the traditional sense; the powered shells have better ways to punish spell-casting. Modern is a closer conversation in spell-heavy brews, but the three-mana entry cost is steep when the format kills on turns three and four. Oathbreaker shares enough of Commander's multiplayer dynamic that Vexing Arcanix pulls similar weight there, especially under a spellslinging planeswalker.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Vexing Arcanix is deep bulk — you're picking it up for nearly nothing out of a bargain bin or bulk order. It's a newly released card at this price, so supply is high; if it finds a breakout Commander home, the floor could rise, but at bulk pricing the buy-in risk is zero.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.