Deflecting Swat

Deflecting Swat debuted in Commander 2020 in 2020. C20 #50 is a rare illustrated by Izzy and is nonfoil only. It was included in the Arcane Maelstrom deck associated with Kalamax, the Stormsire.

Collector shortcut: CMM #214 offers the original art in nonfoil or traditional foil, #532 is the etched entry, and #698 supplies Greg Staples' borderless art. SLD #1552 is Jesper Ejsing's Artist Series, while Avatar Eternal TLE #311 is a nonfoil-only entry by Patrick Ganas.

Deflecting Swat normally costs {2}{R}. If you control a commander, you may cast it without paying its mana cost. It is enough to control any commander, including one owned by another player; with two commanders, controlling one is sufficient. A commander sitting only in the command zone does not satisfy the condition.

Swat targets a spell or ability and lets you choose new targets for it. It does not counter that object, change its controller or let you select illegal targets. You also cannot change the number of targets or alter an already-established division of damage or counters among those targets.

These limits make it different from Force of Will or Counterspell. An untargeted effect does not become targeted just because Swat is involved. Wizards explains the legal-target and distribution restrictions in the Commander 2020 release notes.

The commander condition is checked while casting Swat. Players cannot interrupt that casting process by removing the commander to make you pay its normal mana cost. Casting without paying the mana cost also does not erase applicable additional costs or cost increases.

C20 #50 identifies the original Izzy printing and its Commander 2020 release. The Arcane Maelstrom product is part of that history, rather than a reason to assume that every later copy with the same illustration is another Commander 2020 original.

Commander Masters in August 2023 expands the comparison. Standard #214 retains Izzy's art and offers nonfoil and traditional foil. Etched #532 also uses Izzy's illustration, while borderless #698 introduces Greg Staples' art and has its own nonfoil and traditional foil options.

The Artist Series: Jesper Ejsing Secret Lair arrived in February 2025. Its #1552 printing credits Ejsing and was offered in nonfoil and rainbow foil. Wizards' Winter Superdrop reveal identifies the card, artist and two editions.

Avatar: The Last Airbender Eternal followed in November 2025 with the Commander's Bundle promo, TLE #311. Patrick Ganas is the credited artist on this showcase entry, which is nonfoil only in the catalogue. Keep TLE distinct from the main Avatar set's TLA code when identifying the card.

If you want the original Izzy image, the main comparison is among C20 #50, CMM #214 and etched #532. Those entries let you vary release identity or finish without moving to another artist. It is a better starting point than searching for an unspecified premium Swat.

Greg Staples' CMM #698 changes the artwork and removes the conventional border. The illustration is therefore part of the choice, rather than treating borderless as a finish that can be selected for every other version. Both nonfoil and traditional foil exist for this entry.

Ejsing's #1552 changes the artist again and belongs to a drop curated around his work. Compare it with #698 if you want an alternative illustration while retaining a choice of nonfoil or foil presentation. The drop's rainbow-foil label identifies its edition; it is not a name for the CMM etched surface.

The Ganas Avatar card supplies a setting-specific interpretation, and its flavour text invokes Iroh's lightning redirection. That thematic connection can make it appealing to an Avatar collector independently of whether another printing has a more elaborate finish. The complete card image and current text are available in the shared explorer.

C20 #50 is nonfoil only. A foil with Izzy's artwork belongs to a later entry: traditional foil CMM #214 or etched CMM #532. A listing that describes an original Commander 2020 foil needs careful identification rather than an assumption that every release offered every finish.

For Staples' artwork, CMM #698 has nonfoil and traditional foil. Ejsing's SLD #1552 has nonfoil and rainbow-foil editions. The art, number and finish should be recorded together, because those descriptions are not interchangeable with etched #532.

TLE #311 is nonfoil only in its catalogue record. The existence of foils elsewhere in the Avatar product range does not establish a foil version of this particular card. Use the exact entry when comparing crossover options.

ManaScout's foil animation illustrates a preview rather than reproducing the physical etched or rainbow surface. For a finish-focused purchase, compare photographs and condition alongside the source record and current price fields.

For the debut: choose C20 #50 in nonfoil. It represents the original Commander product and Izzy presentation, regardless of what other versions currently cost.

For a deck within a set budget: compare the currently available nonfoils, including C20 #50, CMM #214 and the alternative-art entries. Hold condition and language consistent, and do not assume the borderless copy must always carry a premium in every listing.

For the original art in foil: compare CMM #214 traditional foil with etched #532. For a new illustration, compare Staples' #698 and Ejsing's #1552 before selecting the finish.

For Avatar collecting: TLE #311 supplies the Ganas artwork and Iroh connection. It is a nonfoil choice, so decide whether the crossover identity matters more to you than having a foil effect.

Start with C20 #50 and CMM #214 to decide whether the original product matters or you mainly want Izzy's image. Then compare #698, #1552 and TLE #311 as three artist-led alternatives. Only after that choice does it help to weigh traditional foil, etched or rainbow foil where those finishes actually exist.

The live explorer may highlight a ManaScout Pick. Treat it as a visual starting point and compare the exact printing, finish and available price data before deciding.

Force of Will — Compare another alternative-cost interaction spell, with a different way of answering the stack.

Counterspell — Explore the historical two-blue-mana answer and how it differs from redirection.

Mana Drain — Compare countering a spell and generating delayed mana with Swat's target-changing effect.

Teferi's Protection — Explore another Commander protection spell with distinct artwork and premium versions.

Printing details reviewed on 2 November 2026. The shortlist links to individual MTG.wtf catalogue records; official Wizards sources support the rules and product treatments. The live explorer retrieves its records and price fields from Scryfall.

MTG.wtf: original printing, product and rules.

Wizards: Commander 2020 targeting rulings.

MTG.wtf: etched edition and artist.

Wizards: Ejsing Artist Series and rainbow-foil edition.

MTG.wtf: Avatar artist, text and nonfoil-only record.