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Today I want to go over some of the best multicolor spot removal we've ever seen in Magic. This is going to be a really tough list to narrow down, so for some of the bullet points, I've gone and combined spells with similar effects that have seemed to evolve over the years. I limited my search to instants, sorceries, and enchantments, with the words exile or destroy on them that were more than one color. I then searched for the same card types that dealt three or more damage. While this criteria isn't perfect, it seemed to pull up most of the usual suspects.
I wanted to include some classic gems like Pernicious Deed or Supreme Verdict, but I decided to limit this list to spot removal, or rather removal that specifically targets something. Whether that removal, once cast, is able to kill multiple things is another story, so long as it falls under spot removal.
Let's begin!
Putrefy > Maelstrom Pulse > Abrupt Decay > Assassin's Trophy
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Here we can see the evolution of Black-Green, or Golgari, removal. Putrefy is so iconic that it has been printed an insane 27 times. In fact all of these cards have more than ten printings, other than Abrupt Decay, which only has a mere eight.
Black and Green love destroying artifacts and creatures, which is apparent here, but for a little more mana (or for a downside), you're also able to branch out and take out any permanent. If you're in the market for either of these effects, these are some of the best options.
Terminate > Dreadbore > Molten Collapse
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I always enjoy seeing the first iteration of a removal spell, then seeing how that spell has been iterated on over time. In this case, Terminate was clearly the influence for Dreadbore, and later Bedevil. Molten Collapse was an interesting one to see, because it's a strict upgrade to Dreadbore and basically obsoletes it, unless you just want two of this two-mana effect in your deck.
Molten Collapse can do exactly what Dreadbore can, for the same cost, at the same speed, but it can also kill other permanents as well, and sometimes kill two things! If you're in the market for this kind of effect, the choice is clear.
Mortify > Anguished Unmaking > Vindicate > Abstruse Appropriation
I remember thinking Mortify was a clear nod to the all-powerful Vindicate when it was released in Guildpact, but even 24 years later Vindicate is still the king of three-mana Black/White removal.
Sure, we wish it was an instant like the other three cards listed here, but even so, being able to kill any permanent, including lands, just puts it so far ahead of any other option. That being said, Anguished Unmaking is also an extremely solid removal spell, able to deal with anything but lands, for the small additional cost of three life.
At four mana, I don't think Abstruse Appropriation is on the same level as the three-mana answers, but I do think it's one of the coolest variants of the Utter End design.
Detention Sphere > Assimilation Aegis
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Oblivion Ring had been around for some time when it eventually had a baby with Maelstrom Pulse, allowing it to exile every permanent with the same name. This eventually made it a staple in every Blue/White deck that could utilize it. In fact, a creature with a similar name and this exact effect was later released in a future Ravnica set.
While Assimilation Aegis isn't a strict upgrade, since it can only hit creatures and only one of them at that, it is nice to see another card in the Banishing Light family with such a unique ability: letting you copy the creature that you've taken with the Aegis.
Lightning Helix > Rip Apart > Warleader's Helix
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The Red/White removal option is often in the form of three to four damage, along with a bonus. Typically life gain, but the option to branch out and destroy an artifact or enchantment can also be found. Rip Apart was an amazing modification that basically combined Abrade and Disenchant, but also allowed you to hit planeswalkers.
While, again, the four-mana version in Warleader's Helix will never be as powerful, just like Utter End, it still managed to see a good deal of play in the Standard format it was legal in.
Prophetic Bolt > Bituminous Blast > Enter the God-Eternals
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While these three all seem quite different, they have a lot in common under the hood. They're all a different two-color combination from Grixis, but more importantly, they all deal four damage for five mana, then create something of value for you.
Prophetic Bolt lets you draw a card from the top four cards; Bituminous Blast lets you cascade, getting a card valued at up to four mana; and Enter the God-Eternals gains you up to four life, makes a 4/4, and mills a player for four cards. So lots of versatility here.
Jeskai Revelation > Inspired Ultimatum > Magma Opus
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These are the deep cuts. I wouldn't expect these to be nearly as common as many of the other cards on the list, but I added them because I'm a sucker for big, splashy mythic cards, and all of these Blue/red cards fall into that category. It doesn't hurt that one of my favorite Pioneer decks during the 2024 RCQ season was Gearhulk Opus, where I won my games by using Indomitable Creativity to find a Torrential Gearhulk that was able to cast Magma Opus from the graveyard. If Mizzix's Mastery was legal in formats like Pioneer or Modern, I'm sure I would try and do the same thing with the other sizable spells.
Artifact Mutation > Aura Mutation > Aether Mutation
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Invasion block had a cycle of Green-based "mutation" cards. Artifact Mutation and Aura Mutation were both immensely powerful, and Aether Mutation was serviceable. Death Mutation, however, the Black card in the cycle, was eight mana. That's a bit much for a removal spell.
The two mutations from Apocalypse were also uncommon, while the two Mutations from Invasion were rare. This makes total sense when you consider they're both instants, they cost two mana, and they can provide you with a literal army. Being able to kill something silly like a Phyrexian Portal and getting nine Saprolings for two mana is bananas.
Anyway, thanks for reading and I'll catch ya next time!
Frank Lepore
