Arcbound Bruiser
Artifact Creature — Golem
Modular 3 (This creature enters with three +1/+1 counters on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Darksteel
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #14291
Arcbound Bruiser enters as a 3/3 with modular 3 — when it dies, those counters redistribute to another artifact creature, turning removal into free buffs for your board. That payoff is real in the right shell, but a five-mana 3/3 with no evasion is a steep ask outside dedicated modular decks like Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp or Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp
Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp makes every modular trigger better by adding an extra +1/+1 counter on top, so Arcbound Bruiser dying means five counters moving instead of three — suddenly a clunky five-drop is a meaningful piece of the counter-redistribution engine.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Arcbound Bruiser is a role-player, not a staple — it earns its slot only in decks built around modular synergies, where the death trigger is a feature rather than a consolation prize. In Pauper it's legal and the modular package is more concentrated, but five mana for a 3/3 is still slow for that format's tempo. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern all have access to it, but none of those formats want a five-mana vanilla-statted creature when the modular payoff is conditional on dying. Unless you're leaning hard into artifact-creature synergies, Arcbound Bruiser is a Commander-or-Pauper-cube card and nothing more.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightViscera SeerArcbound Bruiser
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite scry 1; Infinite +1/+1 counters on certain creatures
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightArcbound RavagerArcbound Bruiser
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Infinite +1/+1 counters on certain creatures; Draw the game
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightAshnod's AltarArcbound Bruiser
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite colorless mana; Infinite +1/+1 counters on certain creatures
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightPhyrexian AltarArcbound Bruiser
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite colored mana; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite +1/+1 counters on certain creatures
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightAltar of DementiaArcbound Bruiser
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite mill; Infinite self-mill; Infinite +1/+1 counters on certain creatures
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Arcbound Bruiser is deep bulk — you're picking it up as a throw-in or out of a common box. The price reflects its narrow playability; it sees enough Commander play in modular decks to keep it from being pure junk, but don't expect it to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight
- Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp
- Viscera Seer
- Arcbound Ravager
- Ashnod's Altar
- Phyrexian Altar
- Altar of Dementia
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.