Arcbond
Instant
Choose target creature. Whenever that creature is dealt damage this turn, it deals that much damage to each other creature and each player.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Fate Reforged Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #5418
Arcbond turns any single damage event into a board-wide explosion — slap it on a creature that's about to take damage and every other creature and player absorbs the same total. The classic lock is Arcbond plus Pariah on the same creature, which redirects all that reflected damage back to the enchanted creature and creates an infinite loop that ends the game; Ashling the Pilgrim is the most efficient creature to build around because she deals herself damage on demand.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Ashling the Pilgrim
Ashling the Pilgrim activates her own damage trigger on command, so Arcbond on Ashling immediately radiates that damage to every creature and player — no attack step required, just mana. At 44% inclusion across Ashling decks, it's the single most consistent engine piece she runs.
Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence
Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence cares about dealing damage to yourself, so Arcbond pulling reflected damage back to your side isn't a downside — it's fuel that loads up her counter engine and enables a lethal pump swing.
Piru, the Volatile
Piru, the Volatile already deals damage to every non-legendary creature at end of turn; Arcbond on Piru redirects that sweep back outward to every player and creature again, effectively doubling the sweep's reach the moment it resolves.
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator deals damage to herself whenever she fights or is dealt damage, and Arcbond converts each of those self-damage triggers into a radiated pulse hitting the whole board.
Wayta, Trainer Prodigy
Wayta, Trainer Prodigy initiates fights as a repeatable engine, and Arcbond placed on the fought creature turns every fight into a board-wide ping that scales with the creature's power.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Arcbond is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but its real home is Commander — the multiplayer damage redirection is exponentially more powerful when three or more opponents are in the blast radius. In Legacy and Vintage it's theoretically castable but competing against faster, more focused interaction and almost never sees play. Modern and Pioneer have the card pools to theoretically support a Pariah combo shell, but three mana at instant speed for a conditional effect that requires a creature already in play is a tough sell in those formats' faster environments. Oathbreaker is the second-best home: a damage-dealing planeswalker as signature spell can set up the Arcbond line cleanly, but the smaller starting life totals mean less room for the combo to assemble.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Price data for Arcbond isn't currently in our system, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for live listings. It's a niche combo piece with a specific audience, so prices can fluctuate based on stock — worth grabbing a copy when you see it at a reasonable rate if you're building any of the commander archetypes above.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Pariah
- Ashling the Pilgrim
- Auntie Blyte, Bad Influence
- Piru, the Volatile
- Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
- Wayta, Trainer Prodigy
- Pariah's Shield
- Martyrdom
- With Great Power . . .
- Protector of the Crown
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.