Price$0.30 – $6.63
Buy on TCGplayerInfernal Grasp
Instant
LegalRemovalRank #266
Destroy target creature. You lose 2 life.
Why is this card good?
Infernal Grasp is premium black removal: two mana, instant speed, kills anything regardless of toughness, indestructibility-aside. The 2 life is a non-issue in a 40-life format where black decks happily pay life for everything.
This belongs in essentially any black deck that isn't hyper-casual. It's one of the cleanest answers to a problematic commander, a combo piece, or a backbreaking threat. Compared to alternatives like Murder or Cast Down (which has a legendary restriction), the low cost and lack of conditions make it more reliable, and you'll often kill commanders here that dodge "non-legendary" removal.
When to skip it: it doesn't exile, so it's weak against recursion-heavy graveyard decks and indestructible threats (Avacyn, etc.). If your meta is full of those, lean on Go for the Throat, Deadly Rollick, or exile-based removal instead. Also irrelevant in decks where life is a hard resource you're racing to zero on—but those are rare.
Bottom line: a near-default include in spot-removal slots for black.
Related cards
Hero's Downfall
Instant-speed removal also hits planeswalkers, no life loss.
Murder
Three-mana unconditional creature destruction without life cost.
Go for the Throat
Two-mana instant kill for nearly any creature, no life loss.
Bloodchief's Thirst
One-mana removal scaling into kicker for big threats.
Deadly Rollick
Free creature removal with command tower potential.
Feed the Swarm
Two-mana removal that can hit enchantments too.
Heartless Act
Two-mana flexible removal hitting creatures or counters.
Cast Down
Two-mana instant destroying any nonlegendary creature.
Printings (14)
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Played by these commanders
Dina, Essence Brewer100% of 1
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls100% of 1
Felothar the Steadfast100% of 1
Hearthhull, the Worldseed100% of 1
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch100% of 1