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Baleful Mastery, art by Chris Cold
Art by Chris Cold · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · image via Scryfall
Selected printing · USD
$3.52
checked Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfall
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Baleful Mastery

{3}{B} · Instant

You may pay {1}{B} rather than pay this spell's mana cost. If the {1}{B} cost was paid, an opponent draws a card. Exile target creature or planeswalker.

Rulings (5)

Apr 16, 2021 · If you copy a "Mastery" spell and the alternative cost was paid, the copy will resolve as though the cost was paid.

Apr 16, 2021 · The mana value of a spell on the stack is determined by its mana cost, not any alternative costs you used to pay for it.

Apr 16, 2021 · In a multiplayer game, you choose which opponent takes the prescribed action as the spell resolves.

Apr 16, 2021 · If you choose to pay one alternative cost, you can't pay any other alternative costs. For example, if an effect lets you cast a "Mastery" spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't also choose to pay its given alternative cost.

Apr 16, 2021 · If an effect increases or decreases the cost of spells you cast, that cost increase or decrease is applied to the alternative cost you chose to pay. In that case, the cost was still paid for the purposes of the effect, even if you paid more or less for it when it was cast.

LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
ModernLegal
PioneerLegal
StandardNot legal
PauperNot legal
PremodernNot legal
cEDHLegal

Where it’s played now

Inclusion by archetype · Modern

% of archetype's lists running it · last 30 days · n=16 decks
ArchetypeFormatInclusionCopiesDecks (n)
MillModern50%16
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · MTGO + papercasthaven.com

Price

Baleful Mastery — price trend

Daily cheapest printing · USD · last 90 days · n=2 snapshots
Data as of Jun 14, 2026 · Scryfallcasthaven.com

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