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Academy Elite

Creature — Human Wizard

This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of instant and sorcery cards in all graveyards.
{2}{U}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Draw a card, then discard a card.

CMC
4
Mana cost
{3}{U}
Color identity
U
Rarity
rare
Set
The List
Price
$0.29
EDHREC rank
#19745
Buy on TCGplayer
Academy Elite card art
Academy Elite enters with power and toughness equal to the number of instant and sorcery cards in all graveyards — a number that scales fast in multiplayer and can clock in at 6/6 or better by turn five without any setup. The cost is real though: five mana for a creature with no evasion and no protection is a liability, and outside of dedicated spellslinger builds like Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight that keep the graveyard count climbing, it's easy to pay five for a 3/3 that dies to a Lightning Bolt.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Academy Elite has the most legitimate claim to a slot — four opponents means four graveyards feeding its power, and a single wheel effect or a few early cantrips can push it to threatening size before the midgame. Legacy and Vintage allow it, but the competition at five mana in those formats is brutal and graveyard hate is ubiquitous enough to keep Academy Elite off the table competitively. Oathbreaker is legal but shares Commander's logic: the more spells flying around, the bigger it gets, which makes it a reasonable consideration in instant- and sorcery-heavy builds. Across every format, the ceiling is high and the floor is embarrassingly low — treat it as a build-around, not a generic inclusion.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

0 decks
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightPhantom TrainAcademy Elite

Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightPhantom TrainAcademy Elite

Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers

View on Commander Spellbook ↗
0 decks
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightCarrion FeederAcademy Elite

Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightCarrion FeederAcademy Elite

Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

Price Context

Current price

$0.29 bulk tier

At $0.29, Academy Elite is firmly bulk, which makes it a zero-risk experiment in any spellslinger build you're testing. Bulk rares rarely appreciate without a reprint-driven spike or a breakout combo discovery, so pick it up for the deck and don't expect the price to move.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.