Vivisection
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature.
Draw three cards.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Mirrodin Besieged
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #19898
Vivisection draws three cards for four mana by sacrificing a creature — a clean rate in decks that want to convert expendable bodies into gas. It's a staple in sacrifice-themed Commander builds and a non-starter everywhere else.
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, Vivisection earns its slot in sacrifice-based decks — Aristocrats, token engines, and any commander that generates disposable creatures as a byproduct — where sacrificing one body to draw three is pure upside. Outside of that archetype, four mana for three cards without replacing the creature is below rate. In Pauper, it sees occasional play in black-based sacrifice shells where card advantage at common rarity is genuinely scarce. Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, and Vintage have enough cheaper or more efficient draw spells that Vivisection never competes.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Vivisection is deep bulk — you'll find it in dollar bins or pick it up as throw-in fodder without thinking twice. The price reflects its narrow role: high demand in exactly the decks that want it, irrelevant to everyone else.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.