Deadly Dispute
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Instant
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Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander (TDC)
74% of drawn Deadly Disputes are cast before the game ends, and the card lands in the graveyard 24 times across 35 observed instances — exactly what you'd expect from a spell that sacrifices something to replace itself.
Deadly Dispute sits in 6% of tracked Commander decks on Playgroup Live. That narrow inclusion rate reflects its real identity: a role-player for sacrifice-synergy shells, not a format staple. Of 152 instances brought to games, 27 were drawn and 20 were cast, a draw-to-play rate of 74%.
The cast profile tells the story clearly. Every single one of the 20 cast instances landed behind curve, which makes sense for an instant that players hold until a sacrifice outlet lines up. Median first-cast turn is 6, and the hand-to-cast delay averages 2.1 turns, with 30% cast the same turn they were drawn. Players deliberate with this card. They wait for the right sacrifice target and the right moment to reload.
The commander distribution is spread but concentrated in sacrifice and aristocrats shells: Shadow the Hedgehog, Korvold, Olivia, and Raphael all rank near the top. That breadth confirms Deadly Dispute belongs in any black deck that generates expendable artifacts or creatures, not just one specific archetype.
- 6% inclusion rate across tracked Commander decks
- 74% of drawn copies are cast before the game ends
- T6 median first-cast turn, always behind its 2-mana cost
- 2.1 average turns held in hand before being cast
- 24 copies ended the game in the graveyard, as expected for an instant
- 10% battlefield stickiness — this spell resolves and leaves, fast
First-cast turn
n=25The "good card" funnel
219 broughtOf 152 copies brought to games, 27 were drawn and 20 of those were cast, a clean 74% draw-to-play rate for a spell that demands the right board state before firing.
Players who cast this card win 24% of the time (n=25) , vs 40% when it never left the library (n=172).
Final zone distribution
219 instances117 of 152 Deadly Disputes never left the library, the normal structural outcome for a singleton in a 100-card deck; the 24 graveyard copies represent nearly every instance that actually resolved.
Top commanders running this card
by deck count-
1
Shadow the Hedgehog
9 decks
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2
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King
7 decks
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3
Olivia, Opulent Outlaw
7 decks
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4
Raphael, Fiendish Savior
7 decks
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5
Zurgo, Thunder's Decree
7 decks
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6
Braids, Arisen Nightmare
6 decks
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7
Fire Lord Azula
6 decks
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8
Hazel of the Rootbloom
6 decks
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9
Marrow-Gnawer
6 decks
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10
Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER // Sephiroth, One-Winged Angel
5 decks
The top 10 commanders spread across 5 to 9 decks each, all sharing sacrifice or aristocrats themes — Deadly Dispute's home is a style of play, not a single commander.
How often is Deadly Dispute drawn in a Commander game? ▾
Across 142 tracked games, Deadly Dispute was drawn in 27 of 152 deck-instances where it was present, a draw rate of roughly 18%. That is typical for a singleton in a 100-card deck. Of those 27 drawn copies, 20 were cast before the game ended, putting the draw-to-play rate at 74%.
Why is Deadly Dispute never cast on curve? ▾
Deadly Dispute has a mana value of 2, but all 20 observed casts landed behind curve — none on turn 2 and none ahead of it. This is a deliberate hold pattern. Players want to cast it when they have a surplus artifact or creature to sacrifice and can immediately use the Treasure token or two fresh cards for meaningful impact. The median cast turn of 6 and an average hand-to-cast delay of 2.1 turns confirm this is a card players think about before firing.
What does the low battlefield stickiness mean for Deadly Dispute? ▾
Battlefield stickiness measures how often a card is still on the battlefield at game end. For Deadly Dispute, that number is 10% — almost nothing. That is expected and correct for an instant. It resolves, goes to the graveyard, and the outputs (two cards, one Treasure) are what persist. The 24 graveyard instances in the final-zone distribution confirm the card is doing its job.
Which commanders run Deadly Dispute most often on Playgroup Live? ▾
Shadow the Hedgehog leads with 9 decks, followed by Olivia, Opulent Outlaw (7 decks) and Korvold, Fae-Cursed King (6 decks). The pattern is consistent: sacrifice-reward commanders in black or Jund colors. Deadly Dispute's additional cost turns into an advantage only when the deck is built to profit from losing a permanent.
Is Deadly Dispute legal in the formats I play? ▾
Deadly Dispute is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Historic, Timeless, Duel Commander, Brawl, and Pauper Commander. It is notably banned in Pauper, where its combination of cheap draw, Treasure generation, and an easy-to-meet sacrifice cost proved too efficient for that format's resource constraints.
Does casting Deadly Dispute actually improve your win rate? ▾
Early data shows a negative delta here. Games where Deadly Dispute was cast show a 15% win rate across 20 instances, compared to 38% in the 117 instances where it stayed in the library. The cast_vs_library_delta is -0.23. With only 20 cast observations this is directional, not conclusive. One likely explanation: the card is cast more often in games that are already going long or poorly, not a reflection of the card underperforming.