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.
- CommanderLegal
- StandardLegal
- PioneerLegal
- ModernLegal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- PauperNot legal
#267 on EDHREC's list of the most played Commander cards (as of October 16, 2026).
Selling Untimely Malfunction?
We pay 50% of a card's market value in cash, or 70% in store credit, for cards worth more than $1. For the cheapest printing of Untimely Malfunction, that's about $4.12 cash or $5.76 in credit.
All 2 printings and prices
| Set | # | Released | Nonfoil | Foil |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The List PLST | DSK-161 | Oct 2026 | – | – |
| Duskmourn: House of Horror DSK | 161 | Sep 2024 | $8.23 | $10.49 |
TCGplayer market, near mint, Oct 16, 2026.
Removal we have in stock
Rulings
The effect of Untimely Malfunction's last mode won't cause creatures that are already blocking to stop blocking.
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.
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.
Card text, images and rulings from Scryfall. Magic: The Gathering and its card names, text and art are property of Wizards of the Coast.