---
name: "Sickening Shoal"
mana_cost: "{X}{B}{B}"
cmc: 2
type_line: "Instant — Arcane"
colors: ["B"]
color_identity: ["B"]
keywords: []
set: "BOK"
set_name: "Betrayers of Kamigawa"
collector_number: "82"
rarity: "rare"
artist: "Dan Murayama Scott"
oracle_id: "2da8e9d6-e8a8-46a5-a478-3e81098d2a08"
canonical_url: "https://avascry.com/printing/sickening-shoal-bok"
legalities:
  commander: "legal"
  standard: "not_legal"
  modern: "legal"
  pioneer: "not_legal"
  legacy: "legal"
  vintage: "legal"
  pauper: "not_legal"
  penny: "legal"
---

# Sickening Shoal
- **Mana Cost:** `{X}{B}{B}` (CMC: 2)
- **Type:** Instant — Arcane

## Oracle Text
You may exile a black card with mana value X from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn.

## Top 4096-Dim Neural Synergies
1. [March of Wretched Sorrow](/printing/march-of-wretched-sorrow-neo.md) — Instant
2. [Black Sun's Twilight](/printing/black-suns-twilight-pone.md) — Instant
3. [Scent of Nightshade](/printing/scent-of-nightshade-uds.md) — Instant
4. [Blazing Shoal](/printing/blazing-shoal-bok.md) — Instant — Arcane
5. [Nightmarish End](/printing/nightmarish-end-jou.md) — Instant
6. [Disrupting Shoal](/printing/disrupting-shoal-bok.md) — Instant — Arcane

## Printing Details
- **Set:** Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK) #82
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Artist:** Dan Murayama Scott
- **Total Printings:** 8 across all historical editions

## Format Legalities
Commander: `legal` | Standard: `not_legal` | Modern: `legal` | Pioneer: `not_legal` | Legacy: `legal` | Vintage: `legal` | Pauper: `not_legal` | Penny: `legal`