Increasing Vengeance is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Copy target instant or sorcery spell you control. If this spell was cast from a graveyard, copy that spell twice instead. You may choose new targets for the copies. Flashback(You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Complete guide
Increasing Vengeance is a powerful red instant that allows you to double, or even triple, the impact of your spells. By utilizing its Flashback capability, you can turn a single resolution into a game-ending flurry of magic. This card rewards players who plan ahead and leverage their graveyard as a second hand.
What It Does
Increasing Vengeance targets an instant or sorcery spell you control and creates a copy of it. You choose new targets for that copy if you wish. However, if you cast Increasing Vengeance from your graveyard using its Flashback cost, you create two copies of the target spell instead of one. The copies are created directly on the stack, meaning they are not 'cast' and will not trigger abilities that look for players casting spells.
Resolving Step by Step
First, you must have an instant or sorcery spell you control already on the stack to target. When Increasing Vengeance resolves, it checks if it was cast from a graveyard. If cast from your hand, it creates one copy; if cast from the graveyard, it creates two. You then decide whether to change the targets for each copy individually. These copies stay on the stack and resolve one by one after all players have a chance to respond. Finally, if Increasing Vengeance was cast via Flashback, it is exiled instead of going back to the graveyard.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is trying to change the modes of a copied spell. If the original spell was modal (like 'Choose one —'), the copies must use that same mode. Similarly, if the original spell had an X in its cost, the copies will have the same value for X. You also cannot pay any additional costs for the copies, such as kicker; however, if the original spell had an additional cost paid (like sacrificing a creature), the copies benefit from that payment automatically.
When to Play It
Increasing Vengeance is best used when you have a high-impact spell on the stack that you want to ensure resolves or simply want to multiply its effect. Because it only targets spells you control, it is a proactive tool rather than a reactive one. Save the Flashback cast for your most devastating spells to generate maximum value from the triple-spell effect.
Interaction examples
Chaos WarpYou cast Chaos Warp targeting an opponent's creature. While it is on the stack, you cast Increasing Vengeance targeting Chaos Warp. You may now choose new targets for the copy of Chaos Warp. This allows you to shuffle two different permanents into their owners' libraries, with each one revealing a new card from the top.
Deflecting SwatIf an opponent targets you with a spell, you can cast Deflecting Swat to change the target. If you then cast Increasing Vengeance from your graveyard targeting Deflecting Swat, you get two additional copies of Deflecting Swat. This allows you to redirect three different spells or abilities, or simply ensure your redirection succeeds even if one copy is countered.
You cast Chaos Warp. You then pay {3}{R}{R} to Flashback Increasing Vengeance from your graveyard. Because it was cast from the graveyard, you create two copies of Chaos Warp. Along with the original, you now have three Chaos Warps on the stack, letting you target three different permanents. The original Increasing Vengeance is then exiled.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Increasing Vengeance
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
“Flashback [cost]” means “You may cast this card from your graveyard by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost” and “If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Increasing Vengeance can target (and copy) any instant or sorcery spell you control, not just one with targets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
When Increasing Vengeance resolves, it creates one or two copies of a spell. You control each of the copies. Those copies are created on the stack, so they're not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger. The copies will then resolve like normal spells, after players get a chance to cast spells and activate abilities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Each of the copies will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). If there are two copies, you may change the targets of each of them to different legal targets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If the spell Increasing Vengeance copies is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copies will have the same mode(s). You can't choose different ones.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If the spell Increasing Vengeance copies has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Earthquake does), the copy has the same value of X.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
You can't choose to pay any additional costs for the copies. However, effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copies too. For example, if you sacrifice a 3/3 creature to cast Fling and then copy it with Increasing Vengeance, the copies of Fling will also deal 3 damage to its target.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Narset's Reversal + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any instant or sorcery by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Increasing Vengeance by paying its mana cost, targeting the instant or sorcery cast in step 1.
- 3Cast Narset's Reversal by paying
, copying Increasing Vengeance targeting the spell cast in step 1 and returning the original Increasing Vengeance to your hand. - 4Cast Increasing Vengeance by paying its mana cost, copying the copy of Increasing Vengeance, targeting the copy of Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Resolve the copy of Increasing Vengeance, creating a copy of Increasing Vengeance targeting the copy of Increasing Vengeance.
- 6Repeat step 5.
Pyromancer's Goggles + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any instant or sorcery by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, activate Pyromancer's Goggles by tapping it, adding .
- 3Cast Increasing Vengeance by paying its mana cost, targeting the instant or sorcery cast in step 1.
- 4Pyromancer's Goggles triggers, copying Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Resolve the copy of Increasing Vengeance, creating a copy of Increasing Vengeance targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 6Repeat step 5.
Twincast + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any instant or sorcery spell by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Increasing Vengeance by paying , targeting that spell.
- 3Cast Twincast by paying , copying Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting Increasing Vengeance.
- 4Resolve the copy of Increasing Vengeance, copying the original Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Repeat step 4.
Teach by Example + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any other instant and/or sorcery spell by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Teach by Example by paying
, copying the next instant or sorcery spell you cast. - 3Cast Increasing Vengeance by paying , targeting the instant or sorcery spell cast in step 1.
- 4Teach by Example triggers, copying Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Resolve the copy of Increasing Vengeance, copying Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 6Repeat step 5.
Dual Strike + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any other instant and/or sorcery spell by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dual Strike by paying , copying the next instant or sorcery spell you cast with mana value 4 or less.
- 3Cast Increasing Vengeance by paying , targeting the instant or sorcery spell cast in step 1.
- 4Dual Strike triggers, copying Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Resolve the copy of Increasing Vengeance, copying Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 6Repeat step 5.
Kalamax, the Stormsire + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any sorcery by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Increasing Vengeance by paying its mana cost.
- 3Kalamax's first and second abilities trigger.
- 4Resolve the first ability, creating a copy of Increasing Vengeance and choosing to copy the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Resolve the second ability, putting a +1/+1 counter on Kalamax.
- 6Resolve the Increasing Vengeance copy, creating a copy of Increasing Vengeance.
- 7Kalamax's second ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 8Repeat from step 6 any number of times.
Alania, Divergent Storm + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast the additional sorcery by paying its mana cost.
- 2Alania triggers; choose not to have an opponent draw a card.
- 3Holding priority, cast Increasing Vengeance by paying , targeting the additional sorcery.
- 4Alania triggers, causing an opponent to draw a card and you to copy Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Resolve the copy of Increasing Vengeance, copying the original Increasing Vengeance, with the copy targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 6Repeat step 5.
Prismari, the Inspiration + Increasing Vengeance
- 1Cast any other instant or sorcery by paying its mana cost.
- 2Holding priority, cast Increasing Vengeance by paying its mana cost, targeting the instant or sorcery cast in step 1.
- 3Increasing Vengeance's storm ability triggers, creating at least one copy of Increasing Vengeance targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 4Resolve a copy of Increasing Vengeance, copying Increasing Vengeance targeting the original Increasing Vengeance.
- 5Repeat step 4.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Increasing Vengeance
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.