You Cannot Pass!
Instant
Destroy target creature that blocked or was blocked by a legendary creature this turn.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #10202
You Cannot Pass! stops a creature cold for a turn and, if you control a legendary creature, destroys it outright — a conditional hard removal spell that costs one white mana. In Frodo, Sauron's Bane decks, the legendary condition is essentially always live, making this a one-mana unconditional kill spell with a built-in stun as a floor.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Frodo, Sauron's Bane
Frodo, Sauron's Bane is the defining home for You Cannot Pass! — Frodo himself satisfies the legendary requirement, collapsing this from a conditional removal spell into a one-mana destroy effect that trades up with virtually any threat on the board.
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 |
You Cannot Pass! is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but the card is built for Commander almost exclusively. In Commander, legendary creatures are everywhere — your own commander alone turns this into the cheapest hard removal in white — and one-mana interaction at instant speed is always welcome. In Legacy and Vintage, the legendary clause is too unreliable against the field, and better removal exists at the same cost. Modern is theoretically possible but the same problem applies: leaning on your own legendary to enable removal is a fragile plan in a format where board presence is contested from turn one.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, You Cannot Pass! is bulk — you'll find it in common boxes and bulk lots without looking hard. Given how narrowly it's built for Commander Frodo decks, there's no pressure driving the price up, and it will stay in this tier indefinitely.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.