World at War
Sorcery
After the second main phase this turn, there's an additional combat phase followed by an additional main phase. At the beginning of that combat, untap all creatures that attacked this turn.
Rebound (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Secret Lair Drop
- Price
- $6.57
- EDHREC rank
- #3483
World at War hands every attacking creature a second combat phase for four mana, and the rebound means you get that again for free on your next upkeep. At that rate, Kratos, God of War effectively doubles his triggered damage output across two turns without spending another card.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kratos, God of War
Kratos, God of War triggers on combat damage dealt to players, so World at War turns one attack into two triggers per creature — effectively doubling his board-wide damage pings without any additional setup. At 74% inclusion, it's the closest thing this commander has to a staple.
Atreus, Impulsive Son // Kratos, Stoic Father
Atreus, Impulsive Son // Kratos, Stoic Father generates counters and value off repeated combat steps, making World at War a natural fit that accelerates both sides of the card's scaling. The 41% inclusion rate reflects how broadly useful extra combat is across the entire God of War package.
Etali, Primal Storm
Etali, Primal Storm triggers on each attack, so World at War turns a single cast into two free spells stolen from opponents — no other extra-combat spell does this more cleanly for the mana. It's in 39% of Etali lists for exactly that reason.
Rootha, Mastering the Moment
Rootha, Mastering the Moment cares about copying instants and sorceries, and World at War's rebound already provides a built-in second cast — Rootha can copy the first instance to stack three or more combat phases in a single turn. That ceiling is uniquely high compared to similar effects.
Otharri, Suns' Glory
Otharri, Suns' Glory creates experience counters and rebel tokens off combat damage triggers, so World at War's extra combat step multiplies both the counter accumulation and the token generation in a single turn. The 25% inclusion rate reflects a real payoff, not incidental overlap.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where World at War earns its keep — the format's singleton rule means redundancy in extra-combat effects matters, and the rebound clause is a genuine two-for-one that pressures opponents across consecutive turns. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but effectively invisible; those formats move too fast for a four-mana sorcery with no immediate board impact to compete with the available threats. Oathbreaker is a reasonable home if the signature spell or planeswalker generates attack triggers, but the card pool is smaller and tables tend to end faster, which cuts into rebound's value. For most players, World at War is a Commander card and nothing else.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Aggravated Assault and Savage Beating both grant extra combat steps, but they're either more expensive in dollars or mana — the closest true budget analog is Moraug, Fury of Akoum, which grants a combat step for each land that enters and can chain multiple phases naturally, though it requires a land-drop engine rather than raw mana. For players who want World at War's sorcery-speed simplicity at a lower price point, Fury of the Horde offers a free cast by removing red cards from hand, a meaningful trade-off in spell-heavy builds.
Price Context
Current price
$6.57 mid tier
At $6.57, World at War sits in the mid tier — affordable enough that it's not a budget obstacle, but priced high enough that it's earned by consistent, widespread demand across creature-combat commanders. It holds that range because the rebound clause makes it structurally better than most extra-combat spells at similar costs, and that distinction keeps demand steady.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Kratos, God of War
- Atreus, Impulsive Son // Kratos, Stoic Father
- Etali, Primal Storm
- Rootha, Mastering the Moment
- Otharri, Suns' Glory
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.