Viper's Kiss
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets -1/-1, and its activated abilities can't be activated.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Theros
- Price
- $0.06
- EDHREC rank
- #17848
Viper's Kiss permanently shrinks a creature to 0/1, removes all abilities, and slaps a -1/-1 counter on it — all for one black mana at instant speed. It's one of the most efficient creature-neutering tools in black, turning a threat into an irrelevant body without spending a removal spell.
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, Viper's Kiss punches above its cost — one mana to blank a commander's abilities and reduce it to a 0/1 is a tempo play that can strand an opponent for multiple turns without ever killing the threat. It thrives in -1/-1 counter synergy decks and alongside sacrifice outlets that can finish off the neutered creature. In Pauper, the instant speed and single pip make it a real option in black control shells where stranding a creature at 0/1 can buy enough time to close the game. In Legacy and Vintage the competition from Fatal Push, Swords to Plowshares, and friends is too steep — Viper's Kiss belongs in formats where cheap, versatile interaction is scarce, not ones where it has to compete with the format's best.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.06 bulk tier
At $0.06, Viper's Kiss is deep bulk — you're paying essentially nothing for a card with genuine utility. Bulk rares fluctuate; bulk commons like this one stay flat, so there's no timing consideration here, just pick up copies whenever you need them.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.