Academy Journeymage
Creature — Human Wizard
This spell costs 
less to cast if you control a Wizard.
When this creature enters, return target creature an opponent controls to its owner's hand.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #21520
Academy Journeymage bounces a creature on entry — useful disruption stapled to a 3/2 body — but the five-mana cost and the requirement to control another Wizard make it far too conditional for most lists. Play it only if your deck is already built around Wizard tribal synergies; otherwise, cheaper and unconditional bounce spells do the job for a fraction of the mana.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Academy Journeymage occupies a narrow lane: Wizard-tribal decks helmed by commanders like Inalla, Archmage Ritualist, where the Wizard type is itself a resource worth stacking. Outside that context, five mana for a bounce effect is far too slow, and the 'another Wizard you control' clause turns a mediocre card into a dead one if your board is thin. In Pauper, where card efficiency is ruthlessly scrutinized, Academy Journeymage sees fringe play in Wizard synergy shells but rarely makes the cut over cheaper tempo options. Legacy, Vintage, and Pioneer have access to so many efficient interaction pieces that Academy Journeymage is effectively invisible in those formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Academy Journeymage is deep bulk — you'll find copies in commons boxes without looking. The price reflects its narrow playability accurately, and there's no realistic scenario where demand drives it higher.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.