Whiplash Trap

Whiplash Trap card image

Whiplash Trap: Instant - Trap, Commander 2020. MTG card printings, market prices, rulings, and format legality on Mana Grove.

Mana cost
{3}{U}{U}
Mana value
5
Type
Instant - Trap
Colour identity
Blue (U)
Rarity
Common
Set
Commander 2020 (C20)
Released
2020-04-17
Collector number
127
Artist
Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai
Commander rank
15,736 (by how often it appears in Commander decks)

Build around this card with Grover

About Whiplash Trap

Whiplash Trap is a Magic: The Gathering card, a common blue instant from Commander 2020 (C20), a Commander product released in April 2020. It is collector number 127 in that set, with art by Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai. It costs {3}{U}{U} (three generic and two blue mana) to cast, for a mana value of 5. Its colour identity is blue. It is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker, Pauper Commander, PreDH and Penny Dreadful. It has been printed in 5 sets, from Planechase (2009) to The List (2020). The latest aggregated market price for this printing is $0.25 (normal finish, as of 2026-11-12).

Card text

If an opponent had two or more creatures enter the battlefield under their control this turn, you may pay {U} rather than pay this spell's mana cost.

Return two target creatures to their owners' hands.

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.25 (as of 2026-11-12).

The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.

Format legality

Legality of Whiplash Trap by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

ModernLegal
LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
PauperLegal
CommanderLegal
Duel CommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
Pauper CommanderLegal
PreDHLegal
Penny DreadfulLegal

Other printings of Whiplash Trap

Whiplash Trap has been printed in 5 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

PrintingRarityYear
The List (PLST) #DDN-70Common2019
Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning (DDN) #70Common2014
Zendikar (ZEN) #77Common2009
Planechase (HOP) #16Common2009

Official rulings

Five official rulings apply to Whiplash Trap, newest first.

  • You must target two creatures as you cast Whiplash Trap. If you can't (because just one creature is on the battlefield, perhaps), you can't cast the spell.
  • Effects that increase or reduce the cost to cast a Trap will apply to whichever cost you chose to pay.
  • You can target any two creatures, not just ones that entered this turn.
  • Casting a Trap by paying its alternative cost doesn't change its mana cost or mana value. The only difference is the cost you actually pay.
  • You may ignore a Trap's alternative cost condition and simply cast it for its normal mana cost. This is true even if its alternative cost condition has been met.

Similar cards

Other instant cards with a blue colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.

In these precons

Whiplash Trap is in the decklist of these preconstructed Commander decks.

Explore Mana Grove