Untimely Malfunction

Mana cost

Mana value2TypeInstant Color identity

Red RarityUncommon SetDuskmourn: House of Horror (DSK) ArtistJarel Threat Price€5.91 · foil €7.18 · $8.10

About this card

Untimely Malfunction is an instant card in Magic: The Gathering with mana value 2 (color identity: red). First printed in Duskmourn: House of Horror (2024); 2 paper printings in total. Role in Commander: removal. It is one of the 1,000 most played cards in Commander (EDHREC rank 265). Legal in Commander, Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy and Vintage. Cheapest printing: €4.97 (The List); most expensive: €5.89 (Duskmourn: House of Horror).

Untimely Malfunction

Instant

Choose one —
• Destroy target artifact.
• Change the target of target spell or ability with a single target.
• One or two target creatures can't block this turn.

"No! This worked perfectly in the lab!"

Name in each language

FrançaisDéfaillance inopportuneEnglishUntimely MalfunctionEspañolAvería inoportunaDeutschUngelegene FehlfunktionItalianoAvaria Intempestiva日本語間の悪い故障

Legality

CommanderLegalStandardLegalPioneerLegalModernLegalLegacyLegalVintageLegalPauperNot legalBrawlLegalOathbreakerLegalHistoricLegalTimelessLegalPenny DreadfulNot legal

Rulings

2024-09-20
You don't choose the new target for the spell or ability targeted with Untimely Malfunction's second mode until Untimely Malfunction resolves. You must change the target if possible. However, you can't change the target to an illegal target. If there are no legal targets to choose from, the target isn't changed. It doesn't matter if the original target has somehow become illegal itself.

2024-09-20
If a spell or ability targets multiple things, you can't target it with Untimely Malfunction's second mode, even if all but one of those targets have become illegal.

2024-09-20
The effect of Untimely Malfunction's last mode won't cause creatures that are already blocking to stop blocking.