Warping Wail
Instant
(
represents colorless mana.)
Choose one —
• Exile target creature with power or toughness 1 or less.
• Counter target sorcery spell.
• Create a 1/1 colorless Eldrazi Scion creature token. It has "Sacrifice this token: Add ."
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Oath of the Gatewatch
- Price
- $0.35
- EDHREC rank
- #2045
Warping Wail is a three-mode instant that counters sorceries, exiles small creatures, or makes a Eldrazi Scion — genuine flexibility at two mana, with the real cost being that none of the three modes is unconditional. In Ulalek, Fused Atrocity decks, the Eldrazi subtype alone justifies the slot before you even read the rest of the card.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity triggers off every Eldrazi spell cast, so Warping Wail isn't just an instant — it's a copy engine trigger on a two-mana card that also counters a sorcery or removes a threat on the way to the bigger play.
Ultima, Origin of Oblivion
Ultima, Origin of Oblivion wants Eldrazi spells to fuel its mechanics, and Warping Wail slots in as a cheap, instant-speed piece that keeps the Eldrazi count high without demanding a heavy mana investment.
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 |
In Commander, Warping Wail earns its slot in Eldrazi-tribal shells almost unconditionally — the Eldrazi subtype matters, the sorcery counter catches Cyclonic Rift and Toxic Deluge, and the Scion can block or sacrifice for mana. Outside tribal contexts, it's a fringe include: the modes are too narrow to compete with staple interaction in a 100-card singleton format. In Modern and Pioneer it's seen occasional play as a sideboard piece, specifically to blank sorcery-speed wraths and sweepers, but it rarely makes maindeck cuts. Legacy and Vintage have enough raw power that Warping Wail's modal ceiling isn't high enough to compete with purpose-built interaction at the same mana cost.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.35 bulk tier
At $0.35, Warping Wail is firmly bulk, which makes it an easy pickup for any Eldrazi deck on any budget. Bulk mythics with tribal relevance occasionally spike when a new commander pushes the archetype, but at this price you're buying it to play it, not to sit on it.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.