Bedevil

Strategy & Gameplay

This versatile instant from Dominaria United represents one of the most flexible removal spells in Magic's current competitive landscape, offering exceptional value for just two generic mana and one black and one red pip. Bedevil's ability to target artifacts, creatures, or planeswalkers gives it remarkable reach across multiple threat categories, making it an invaluable inclusion in any deck color combination that includes both black and red mana. The instant speed is particularly crucial, allowing you to hold up mana for interaction while maintaining the flexibility to deploy threats or use your mana for other purposes, and the spell's low casting cost means you're not falling behind on tempo when deploying it. Strategically, Bedevil slots perfectly into midrange strategies, control decks, and tempo-focused archetypes where efficient removal is paramount. In Modern and Pioneer formats, this card finds homes in Grixis Control, Mardu Midrange, and various Rakdos-based strategies where the combination of instant-speed creature removal and planeswalker interaction proves essential for answering diverse threats. The artifact destruction clause is particularly valuable in metas where artifacts like Murktide or artifact-based ramp spells present concerns. For Commander and casual formats, Bedevil provides efficient spot removal that scales well with the multiplayer environment while fitting cleanly into Rakdos-colored strategies that emphasize removal and disruption. Its legality across Standard-equivalent formats plus eternal formats makes it a format staple for competitive players seeking reliable interaction, while casual players appreciate its straightforward effectiveness and low opportunity cost.