Waste Away
Instant
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card.
Target creature gets -5/-5 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Torment
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #30438
Waste Away deals 3 damage and makes a creature lose 3 toughness — on a 5-mana sorcery, that's a removal spell that often kills without targeting, but five mana at sorcery speed is a steep ask in 2025. There are cleaner answers at lower costs; run Waste Away only if you specifically need the toughness-reduction effect.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Waste Away occupies an awkward slot — five mana at sorcery speed means it will frequently be outclassed by instant-speed removal or cheaper wraths. Pauper is where Waste Away has the most realistic home, since the card pool is constrained and the toughness-reduction clause can matter against regenerating or indestructible creatures that exist at common. Legacy and Vintage are legal but irrelevant; no competitive shell there wants a five-mana sorcery for single-target removal when Fatal Push and Swords to Plowshares exist.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Waste Away is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard and postage, not the card. That price reflects honest market demand, and nothing about the card's mechanics suggests it climbs.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.