Arcane Laboratory
Enchantment
Each player can't cast more than one spell each turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Seventh Edition
- Price
- $0.71
- EDHREC rank
- #9605
Arcane Laboratory locks every player to one spell per turn — a hard stop on storm, combo chains, and any engine that needs multiple casts in a single turn. Zur the Enchanter fetches it directly onto the battlefield, and pairing it with Knowledge Pool creates a near-total lock where opponents can't cast spells at all.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zur the Enchanter
Zur the Enchanter tutors Arcane Laboratory directly into play on attack, making it one of the most reliable lock pieces in the deck — once it's on board alongside other Zur-fetched stax pieces, opponents are forced to play one spell per turn into a board already stacked against them.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Arcane Laboratory is a stax staple — three mana for a symmetrical one-spell-per-turn rule hits combo decks hard while control shells can often build their lock around it turn by turn. It's legal in Legacy and Vintage but sees virtually no play there, where faster interaction and the absence of four-player dynamics make a three-mana enchantment too slow to matter. Oathbreaker gives it the same home it has in Commander: slow, enchantment-based control strategies that want to throttle spell volume across the table.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Arcane LaboratoryKnowledge Pool
Exile all spells players cast from their hand; Players can only cast one spell per turn; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Possibility StormArcane Laboratory
Players can't cast spells from their hand; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Arcane LaboratoryEye of the Storm
Exile all instants and sorceries any player casts; Players can only cast one spell per turn; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.71 bulk tier
At $0.71, Arcane Laboratory is firmly bulk — easy to pick up as a throw-in or cheap single for any stax build. The price reflects wide availability rather than low power, and it's unlikely to spike unless a new combo lock pushes it back into the spotlight.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Knowledge Pool
- Zur the Enchanter
- Possibility Storm
- Eye of the Storm
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.