Cast Down

Instant

Destroy target nonlegendary creature.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (48)

nuperokaso on Ninjas and Rogues

5 days ago

Remember that you are an aggro deck. As such, you want to lower your mana curve. You don't want to give up on card advantage, but you are willing to ignore life gain and pay some life instead.

• Bone Splinters. March of Wretched Sorrow These are card disadvantage. Try Dismember and Fatal Push. Notice that it mentions "permanent left the battlefield". This works well with your ninjutsu.
• Soul Transfer. You have no chance to control both an artifact and enchantment. If you want to destroy planeswalkers, go with Hero's Downfall.
• Assimilate Essence and Scatter Ray. Playing counterspells that hit just creatures is bad if you are playing black. Either play an universal counterspell such as Mana Leak, or play direct removal which can hit creatures that are already on the battlefield.
• Battle-Rage Blessing and Return to Action. Search for a 1 mana alternative with an unside, such as Feign Death, Undying Evil or Slip Out the Back
• Collective Nightmare, Anoint with Affliction and You Are Already Dead. These are garbage. Play any of the good 2 mana black instant removals, such as Cast Down, Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, Infernal Grasp, Ultimate Price, Power Word Kill, Heartless Act
• Ertai's Scorn, Extinguish the Light, Debt to the Kami. These are somewhat a little too expensive. You are an aggro deck, so play more tempo oriented cards. Try something from Remand, Memory Lapse, Undermine, Clawing Torment.

debuf on infinite rats

2 weeks ago

what the heck is a "tax and stax war"?

also, I think that I will replace Cast Down with No Mercy considering it will counter my friend's (possible) double strike ability Atarka, his Thunderbreak Regent, and his Drakuseth, Maw of Flames, or just any dragon that manages to hit me.

legendofa on infinite rats

2 weeks ago

Then it's safe to keep Cast Down. At this point, especially if you're at your budget limit, keep the deck as it is unless you have a specific switch you think will improve it. All the cards have a role, and you have good coverage.

Let us know how it handles Atarka, if you think it needs anything or has too much of anything. Above all, have fun!

debuf on infinite rats

2 weeks ago

I will cut Cast Down, but for what?

legendofa on infinite rats

2 weeks ago

Tragic Slip is one of the more useful spot removal cards, since it can get around indestructible and regenerate, and it's very easy for this deck to get its full effect. If you want to cut a single-target removal, my next choice off this list would be Cast Down.

legendofa on infinite rats

2 weeks ago

Pulling from my own Rat tribal deck (Modern-ish casual, not EDH):

Karumonix, the Rat King gives you an out against lifegain-heavy decks. I don't recommend going deeper than that with poison (i.e. don't add Ichor Rats or Septic Rats), but Karumonix adds a layer to your attacks and keeps rats coming.

I haven't gotten Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm yet, but I want to. It looks amazing. If your budget can handle it, I'm recommending it just in theoretical grounds.

I personally am not impressed with Swarm of Rats (Rat Colony is pretty much all-around better) and Pestilence Rats, but they might work better in EDH, where you always have access to a fear-granting effect. How have they worked for you?

Ratcatcher is a free tutor for a rat every turn. Highly recommended.

Memoricide is a little odd, since it can only hit one card that isn't in play. Is this a meta choice? Do you have a specific target for it that you know you'll see?

Unless you see a bunch of Voltron, Battlecruiser, or other decks with one big creature, I would diversify the removal a little bit. You have a lot of single-target creature removal. I'm a big fan of discard, so I'm recommending based on what I like at this point. Cabal Therapist, Mind Slash, and Sadistic Hypnotist turn your rats into hand removal. Feed the Swarm offers enchantment removal with a very evocative name for this deck. Try some of these in place of Cast Down or Ultimate Price or something. Also, Despise isn't great if you're just fishing. If you want a T1 discard effect, Thoughtseize is best, Inquisition of Kozilek and Blackmail are solid, and Dread Fugue is pretty good.

Following up on that, I see a good set of mass removal and graveyard recursion, and Marrow-Gnawer lets you rebuild quickly. This part looks solid.

kortioznikas on

2 months ago

Sweet commander choise, I might "steal" it from you for my own decklist.

Mulldrifter would fit the theme quite right.

Cheap instant removals like Cast Down might perform better than 4 CMC sorceries.

Iehovah on Spare a Coin for a …

3 months ago

What about spells like Snuff Out, Vendetta, Cast Down, Cut Down, Curtains' Call, and Generous Gift?