Essence Backlash
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Magic: The Gathering
Mana cost
Return to RavnicaRTR · #160
- Card type
- Instant
- Rarity
- Common
- Indicative price
- 0.14 € · ★ 0.27 € · 0.10 $ · ★ 0.21 $
- Mana value
- 4
- Colour
- Blue Red
Card text
Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.
Format legality
- CommanderLegal
- DuelLegal
- LegacyLegal
- ModernLegal
- OathbreakerLegal
- PauperLegal
- PaupercommanderLegal
- PennyLegal
- PioneerLegal
- VintageLegal
Legalities follow the imported catalogue; check format rules before a tournament.
Data imported on 2026-10-06 (UTC).
Indicative Scryfall prices, updated daily. ★: foil; ★ E: etched foil. EUR and USD represent different markets.
Printing information
- Illustrator
- Jung Park
- Card language
- English
- Release date
- 2012-10-05
Flavour text
"The other guilds will learn the hard way not to interfere with our investigations." —Bori Andon, Izzet blastseeker
Rulings
Abilities that change the power of a creature (such as the one of Collective Blessing) affect only creatures on the battlefield. They won’t change a creature spell’s power on the stack.
Essence Backlash can target a creature spell that can’t be countered. If Essence Backlash resolves, it won’t counter the spell but it will still deal damage.
If the creature’s power is * and it has an ability defining its power, use that ability to determine its power.