Price$0.46 – $22.85

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Beast Within

Instant

LegalRemovalEDHREC #24

Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Beast creature token.

Why is this card good?

Beast Within is one of green's premier answers, and a big reason green can finally interact in Commander. The flexibility is everything: it destroys any permanent — lands, planeswalkers, indestructible commanders, problematic artifacts/enchantments, or game-ending combo pieces. At instant speed for three mana, it's the rare green removal that respects no permanent type. The 3/3 Beast downside is real but usually trivial. You're trading a token for whatever oppressive thing you needed gone — a Smothering Tithe, a Cyclonic Rift waiting to fire, an opponent's commander. In multiplayer politics, you can even hand the token to a player who's already losing. Who wants it: basically every green deck, especially mono-green and Gruul/Selesnya lists that lack better targeted removal. It's a default include. When to skip it: in cutthroat/cEDH or against aggressive token/aristocrats decks, giving any creature can backfire — that 3/3 fuels sacrifice engines or attacks you for lethal. In those metas, prefer exile-based removal or cheaper answers.

Related cards

Generous Gift

Same effect destroying any permanent, leaves 3/3 token in white.

Pongify

Blue instant destroys a creature, gives controller a 3/3 token.

Rapid Hybridization

Cheap blue creature removal granting a Frog Lizard token.

Chaos Warp

Red catch-all that removes any permanent at instant speed.

Song of the Dryads

Green permanent-answer turning any permanent into a Forest.

Krosan Grip

Green instant destroying artifacts/enchantments with split second.

Reality Shift

Blue exile removal that gives a manifest, similar trade-off.

Nature's Claim

Cheap green destroy artifact/enchantment with downside lifegain.

Printings (38)

marMarvel Universe · #75M—Buy

sldSecret Lair Drop · #2671R—Buy

socSecrets of Strixhaven Commander · #263U$0.46Buy

marMarvel Universe · #33M$6.36Buy

eocEdge of Eternities Commander · #93U$0.55Buy

plstThe List · #LCC-233U$1.38Buy

tdcTarkir: Dragonstorm Commander · #249U$0.52Buy

dscDuskmourn: House of Horror Commander · #80U$0.51Buy

Show all 38 printings

blcBloomburrow Commander · #206U$0.78Buy

m3cModern Horizons 3 Commander · #223U$0.59Buy

lccThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander · #233U$0.91Buy

whoDoctor Who · #228U$0.79Buy

whoDoctor Who · #819U$23.66Buy

ltcTales of Middle-earth Commander · #234U$0.58Buy

pw23Wizards Play Network 2023 · #3R$5.57Buy

oncPhyrexia: All Will Be One Commander · #104U$0.75Buy

scdStarter Commander Decks · #172U$0.47Buy

dmcDominaria United Commander · #129U$0.86Buy

clbCommander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate · #820U$0.94Buy

nccNew Capenna Commander · #282U$0.60Buy

necNeon Dynasty Commander · #114U$0.54Buy

sldSecret Lair Drop · #323R$22.85Buy

micMidnight Hunt Commander · #133U$1.02Buy

afcForgotten Realms Commander · #152U$0.77Buy

c21Commander 2021 · #186U$0.81Buy

tsrTime Spiral Remastered · #357S$2.59Buy

cmrCommander Legends · #423U$0.78Buy

plstThe List · #NPH-103U$1.78Buy

c20Commander 2020 · #168U$0.83Buy

plstThe List · #BBD-190U$2.12Buy

c19Commander 2019 · #157U$0.84Buy

bbdBattlebond · #190U$0.81Buy

pcaPlanechase Anthology · #57U$1.48Buy

c16Commander 2016 · #141U$0.90Buy

cn2Conspiracy: Take the Crown · #174U$1.20Buy

ddlDuel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters · #69U$0.69Buy

pc2Planechase 2012 · #57U$1.81Buy

nphNew Phyrexia · #103U$1.82Buy

Played by these commanders

Leinore, Autumn Sovereign100% of 1

Otrimi, the Ever-Playful100% of 1

Eshki, Temur's Roar100% of 1

Galadriel, Elven-Queen100% of 1

Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients100% of 1

Kitt Kanto, Mayhem Diva100% of 1

Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis100% of 1

Adrix and Nev, Twincasters100% of 1

Chishiro, the Shattered Blade100% of 1

Jared Carthalion100% of 1

Tokens & Emblemsthis card creates

Beast

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Rulings (1)

2021-03-19
If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Beast Within tries to resolve, the spell won't resolve. No player creates a Beast token. If the target is legal but not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), its controller does create a Beast token.