Commander: Top 10 Black Spot Removals for Your Deck!

Black is known in Magic: The Gathering for its iconic Reanimate mechanic, but you're sorely mistaken if you think monocolor black cards only do that.

It is one of the most versatile colors in the game, and includes a good variety of cards to take away resources from your opponents and benefit from it, card draw, cheap tutors, creatures with complicated effects (like the iconic Sheoldred the Apocalypse), and, of course, today's theme: spot removals.

By the way, if you enjoy monoblack decks, why not check out our deck tech on Gisa, the Hellraiser, or our deck tech on K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth.

In this article, we compiled the 10 best black spot removals for your deck that let you interact with the enemy board.

Before we head into our list, here's how we determined the best black spot removals, and the criteria we used.

To build this list, we analyzed how much each spell costs, its speed, versatility, and how popular it is in EDHRec (after all, the community is always right!).

In Magic: The Gathering, each mana color is the best at something (like green is the best at ramp, and blue is the best at card draw), and, when we compare black spot removals with white spot removals, they're definitely less eclectic. This doesn't mean these removals are worse, but you should note there is a big difference between them.

With this article, we wanted to gather the best balance of black spot removals and include a good variety so you can find the best card for you. Particularly if you're new to this format and are looking for good cards to build your Commander deck.

Without further ado, let's see our top 10 best black spot removals!

10. Cast Down

Let's start by doing something no opponent likes: removing creatures.

Cast Down is one of those instant spells that always brings a smile to your face when you have it in your hand.

For just two mana, one black and one generic, this spell lets you destroy a nonlegendary creature your opponent controls. Some interesting and popular targets for this removal are Blood Artist, which drains your life, or Bloom Tender. This card is great to delay your opponent.

9. Ravenous Chupacabra

Remember we said black is great at Reanimating cards? So, what do you think of Reanimating a creature removal?

This is what Ravenous Chupacabra brings to your deck!

As its effect happens when it enters the board (popularly known as an "ETB" effect, for "enters the battlefield"), this friendly creature comes into play and destroys a target creature your opponent controls.

After this effect resolves, you can use this creature to attack, defend yourself, or even sacrifice it with cards like Phyrexian Altar so you can then, later on, Reanimate it from your graveyard.

In Blink decks (those that focus on ETB effects), Ravenous Chupacabra is a true removal machine and becomes even more powerful with support cards like Panharmonicon.

8. Heartless Act

As we said before, we analyzed how versatile each card is, and it was one of our criteria to add it to this list. This is what earned Heartless Act a spot.

Just like Cast Down, this is a very efficient and cheap removal, even though it is a bit limited: this instant only removes creatures that don't have any counters.

However, unlike our tenth place, Heartless Act gives you a few options and lets you remove up to three counters from a target creature.

This effect applies to the most common counters, like +1/+1 counters, the most unusual and cool counters like Shield, Fly, or Trample, and even -1/-1 counters from your own creatures.

7. Infernal Grasp

Infernal Grasp is a very simple and practical spot removal for creatures: it destroys a target creature and removes 2 life from you.

Just like the previous removals, it is cheap, but, unlike them, Infernal Grasp doesn't have any restrictions. So, as long as the creature is a valid target, and you have more than 2 life (no one wants to die to remove a creature from the game, right?), this spell will deal with the creature that is being a nuisance to you.

6. Go for the Throat

Another creature removal on our list, Go For the Throat is an instant that destroys a target non artifact creature.

Once again, we have a low-cost option with a restriction that is easy to play around (as long as your opponent isn't playing a deck focused on artifact creatures, like the Brimaz, Blight of Oreskos Precon).

5. Astarion's Thirst

Black includes many cards that destroy creatures, but Astarion's Thirst is a spell that exiles a target creature and also buffs your commander. The best part? It has no restrictions!

You can target a legendary creature, artifact or not, with counters or without... In fact, anything you want to exile that doesn't have protection (like Hexproof or Shroud) will be gone after you play this card.

The downside is that it is a bit more expensive than other cards on this list. If your deck doesn't have good ramp and mana rocks, it'll be difficult to keep four mana up to cast Astarion's Thirst as an answer to something on your opponent's turn.

4. Bitter Triumph

What earned Bitter Triumph a spot on our list was how versatile it is.

As you must have noticed, Black mostly has creature removals. However, Bitter Triumph is a cheap option that lets you destroy a target creature or planeswalker.

Yes, we can remove planeswalkers without attacking them every combat phase!

On the other side, as an additional cost, this card forces you to discard a card or pay three life. If you're targeting something like a Tamiyo, Field Researcher or another equally problematic planeswalker that is almost using its last ability, Bitter Triumph's additional cost will be worth it.

3. Feed the Swarm

After the planeswalker removal, we have a spell that destroys enchantments!

Feed the Swarm is a spell you can use on creatures or enchantments. As it is cheap, the only downside is that you'll lose life points equal to the mana value of the permanent you destroyed this way.

There are many cheap enchantments that are popular in Commander, like Garruk's Uprising and Temur Ascendancy, so bringing an option like this in your deck is always a great idea to deal with these possible threats.

2. Baleful Mastery

You know what's better than destroying a planeswalker that is almost using its last ability, or a dangerous creature under your opponent's control? If you thought, "exiling that target", you're right.

Baleful Mastery has an alternative cost, that is, you can cast it for less mana. If you do, however, you'll have to pick an opponent, and they get to draw a card.

If you'd like to, you can cast it for its regular cost. Then, you don't have to worry about drawing your opponent a card.

1. Deadly Rollick

Our first place could not be anything other than this instant that interacts with commanders. Welcome, Deadly Rollick, to the top of black spot removals! It's all yours!

This spell is part of a cycle that is better when your commander is on the board. By the way, we also wrote an article entirely dedicated to cards like this; if you want to check it out, click click here.

In this case, as long as you control a commander, this spell is a free spell that exiles a target creature. It's that simple! Deadly Rollick will definitely solve all your problems (or, at least, one of them).

And that's the end of another Cards Realm list!

These articles always include curious cards, but our main goal is to help players who are struggling to build their decks. So, if you know anyone who needs an upgrade and is looking for removals, don't think twice before sending them this article.

Before you check out another article, tell us in our comment section below which black spot removal is the best according to you (the one that you always include in any deck with this color).

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!