wotc
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.
MTG · Card
◇ Catalog #160
Essence Backlash
rtr·#160·common·foil
Illus. Jung Park
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in vault
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for trade
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wishlisted
Oct '12
13 yr ago
Value
$0.25+$0 (+0.0%)
30 days high $0.25 · low $0.25
Volatility · stable
EUR€0.30USD$0.25TIX0.03 tix
Where to buy / sell
Search links · prices vary by venue
Buy this card
Played in EDH
EDHrec rank #17,894 · Fringe play
Variants
Gameplay
Instant
Counter target creature spell. Essence Backlash deals damage equal to that spell's power to its controller.
"The other guilds will learn the hard way not to interfere with our investigations."
—Bori Andon, Izzet blastseeker
Legalities
tlrnot legal
duellegal
brawlnot legal
pennylegal
PreDHnot legal
Rulings · 3
wotc
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.
wotc
If the creature’s power is * and it has an ability defining its power, use that ability to determine its power.
Context
Last observed at $0.25, stable around $0.25 thirty days ago. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $0.03 and $0.31 across 33 observations. Headline volatility reads stable. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
Last observed on Scryfall 20 hours ago at $0.25.
This printing is one of 3 catalogued treatments from RTR — the lineup includes Foil and Nonfoil alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
This card belongs to *Return to Ravnica* (released October 2012).
Card #160 in Return to Ravnica.
Rarity tier: common. Commons fill the bulk of a booster pack's volume.
Card type: Instant. Color identity: red/blue. Mana cost: {2}{U}{R} (4 converted).
Legal in Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and Pauper.
EDHrec ranks this card #17,894 in Commander, putting it in the fringe-play tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Jung Park. Rarix tracks 370 other cards credited to this artist across the catalog — browse the full gallery to see the body of work.
Search across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City from the marketplace deeplinks above to compare live listings.
Notes
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Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Jung Park
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.