Applied Biomancy
Instant
Choose one or both —
• Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
• Return target creature to its owner's hand.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GU
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Ravnica Allegiance
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #16668
Applied Biomancy puts two +1/+1 counters on a creature and makes a blocker unable to block it this turn — both on the same instant for two mana. It's narrow enough that most decks skip it, but Riku of Many Paths copies it for free and suddenly you're distributing four counters and punching through two blockers.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Riku of Many Paths
Riku of Many Paths copies noncreature spells, so Applied Biomancy becomes four counters spread across two targets and double the evasion — turning a marginal combat trick into a meaningful power swing for just two 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 |
Applied Biomancy is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but the formats where it earns a slot are narrow. In Commander it shows up almost exclusively in Riku of Many Paths lists, where the copy trigger justifies the inclusion. In Pauper it has the most theoretical upside as a cheap combat trick, but the effect isn't quite efficient enough to displace staples in aggressive or tempo lists. Modern and Legacy move too fast for a two-mana trick with no lasting board impact beyond counters, so Applied Biomancy stays on the bench in those formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Applied Biomancy is pure bulk — it costs less than the sleeve you'd put it in. That price is stable by default; there's no competitive demand pulling it up, so don't expect movement in either direction.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.