When it comes to spot removal, EDH players have many options to choose from, but some cards stand out for their efficiency, versatility, and impact on the game. These cards can quickly eliminate a problematic threat, disrupt a combo, or protect your own creatures from harm. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the all time best spot removal cards for EDH and explain why they are essential additions to any EDH deck.
This article lists out the best spot removal cards in EDH, check this article if you are looking for the best board wipes in EDH.
Table of Contents
10. Force of Vigor
Its floor is already fine. Paying four mana for an instant that destroys up to two artifacts and / or enchantments is agreeable. However, what sends this card over the top is the ability to pitch a green card instead of paying its mana cost. Cheating mana costs is insanely powerful in EDH as we all know. Force of Vigor is always sweet to have in your hand and comes through when needed!
9. Baleful Mastery
A two mana creature/planeswalker exile effect at instant speed is the holy grail of black’s removal qualities stapled onto one card. The downside is that an opponent has to draw a card. This can be any opponent however, so you can just give it to the player who is the lowest thread or even use it as political leverage. Because the downside is manageable and the effect so strong and flexible (exile any creature or planeswalker) we feel like this deserves a spot on this list.
8. Vanishing Verse
Hitting any permanent for 2CMC at instant speed is unbelievable, it actually comes very close to the number 1 spot in our list. However, the reason why it is not is that this won’t hit multicolored permanents, which in EDH can often be a nasty Commander creature. Still we feel it is one of the best EDH removal spells to play when you are in Orzhov.
7. Wild Magic Surge
A two mana destroy target permanent effect is the most efficient and flexible we can get in EDH and it almost seems to good to be true to find this in mono red. To look for similar cards we have to compare it to all time spot removal favorites like Assassin’s Trophy (spoiler alert). When comparing the two however, the downside of Wild Magic Surge is a lot worse. If you blow up someones creature for instance, there is a chance that they can put a bomb like Blightsteel Colossus straight onto the battlefield. Chances are slim that this will happen though, decks are often not filled to the brim with heavy hitters like that and it is a risk that we’re willing to take if we want to run a fantastic red spot removal card.
6. Nature’s Claim
Efficiency is king in EDH. Paying just one mana for an instant that destroys an artifact or enchantment offers great versatility for such an efficient cost. The drawback of granting 4 life to an opponent is usually negligible. Unlike Force of Vigor, Nature’s Claim does not destroy your wallet either, which is an additional upside. When in Green run this card, you will never look back.
5. Path to Exile/Swords to Plowshares
Path To Exile is the most iconic creature removal spell in EDH, it’s been in EDHREC‘s top 10 since forever. A single white mana for an instant exile creature effect is incredible, with the small downside of losing life. Path’s slightly worse twin is Swords To Plowshares. And although ramping your opponent is strictly worse than losing a bunch of life, you have the option to ramp yourself by blowing up your own creature!
4. Deadly Rollick
A free removal spell that exiles any creature. There is not much more to say about this EDH removal staple from Commander: Ikoria. Unless your deck doesn’t like to have it’s commander on the board very often and if it fits your budget, this is an auto-include in any deck that is in black.
3. Generous Gift / Chaos Warp / Beast Within
With their 3CMC these are not the most efficient removal spell in EDH, but they are in many ways the most versatile ones. They can all hit any permanent and Chaos Warp can even handle indestructible permanents. It is absolutely essential to run versatile spot removal like this since you never know what threads you’re going to be up against. Staxy enchantments, game breaking utility lands, nasty hatebears or a combo enabling Commander, these 3 cards know how to deal with almost anything.
2. Anguished Unmaking
Anguished Unmaking takes what our number 3 cards do and creeps up the power level even further by exiling instead of destroying. It doesn’t hit lands however, but we feel like there is less need for this in most EDH games. The downside of this card is also less impactful: losing 3 life in a Commander game is easier to shrug off than giving your opponent block fodder or in case of Chaos Warp the chance of a free permanent on their board.
1. Assassin’s Trophy
In terms of versatility Assassin’s Trophy is at the same power level as our number 3 spot, hitting any permanent at instant speed. However, it has a 2CMC cost instead of a 3CMC one. In Golgari decks including this card is an absolute no-brainer and in 3, 4 or 5 color decks you should have a really good reason for cutting it out. Ramping your opponent isn’t great but if you choose a high-value target it is almost always worth it and in the late game ramping someone often doesn’t have any impact at all.
Conclusion
That concludes our list of the best removal spells in EDH! If you’re looking for our best spot removal picks in specific colors, check out our other articles:
