Vial of Poison
Artifact
, Sacrifice this artifact: Target creature gains deathtouch until end of turn. (Any amount of damage it deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Magic 2014
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #23258
Vial of Poison turns any creature with a repeatable tap ability into a removal engine — attach a poison counter to a blocker and it dies on contact. The cost is real: two mana to cast, one mana and a tap to activate, all for a single deathtouch hit that requires your creature to connect.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Vial of Poison is a Commander card in practice — the slower pace and creature-centric game plans give it room to function, particularly in decks that abuse tap abilities or need repeatable ways to threaten opposing blockers. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer it is outclassed by permanent removal that doesn't ask you to build around combat; no competitive player is registering it in those formats. Vintage is the same story at a higher power ceiling. Vial of Poison occupies a narrow niche even in Commander — it's a role-player in specific shells, not a general-purpose include.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Vial of Poison is deep bulk — you're not paying for power, you're paying for postage. That price is stable by default; there's no demand pressure that would move it in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.