Volatile Claws
Instant
Until end of turn, creatures you control get +2/+0 and gain all creature types.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Modern Horizons
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #16023
Volatile Claws gives your entire board +2/+0 and trample until end of turn for two mana — that's a combat finisher at instant speed that turns a stalled board into a lethal swing. It slots cleanly into red token and aggro shells, and commanders like Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker or Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator that flood the board with creatures want exactly this kind of pump to close games before opponents stabilize.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator builds a wide pirate board that needs to connect with multiple opponents each combat, and Volatile Claws turns those small attackers into trampling threats that punch through blockers and keep the Malcolm triggers rolling.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Volatile Claws is a one-shot combat pump — narrow but cheap enough to earn a slot in token strategies that live and die on one big alpha strike. Pauper is where it sees the most competitive friction, competing with pump spells that offer better stats or lasting effect, though its instant speed keeps it from being irrelevant. In Legacy, Modern, and Vintage it's outclassed by pump and anthem effects that cost the same or less and do more; Volatile Claws won't show up in any of those environments outside of Limited-style casual play. The card is legal in Oathbreaker and follows the same logic as Commander — worth a look in aggressive planeswalker-creature hybrids that want a cheap finisher.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror BreakerGoatnapperVolatile Claws
Infinite creature tokens with haste; Infinite ETB
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Volatile Claws is deep bulk — no barrier to acquiring copies and no realistic path to price appreciation. It holds its slot on playability alone, so pick it up if the effect fits your deck and don't think twice about the cost.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
- Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
- Goatnapper
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.