Arcbound Overseer
Artifact Creature — Golem
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control with modular.
Modular 6 (This creature enters with six +1/+1 counters on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)
- CMC
- 8
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Darksteel
- Price
- $1.87
- EDHREC rank
- #10857
Arcbound Overseer lands as a 6/6 with flying and modular 6, dumping its counters onto another artifact creature when it dies — that's a massive stat swing for one card. The eight-mana cost is real, but in dedicated modular shells like Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp or Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight, the payoff justifies the investment.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp
Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp is the premier home for Arcbound Overseer — Zabaz's passive doubles every modular trigger, so Overseer's death dumps twelve +1/+1 counters instead of six, turning any incidental removal into a board-wide power spike.
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate accumulates +1/+1 counters from every source it can find, and Arcbound Overseer feeds that engine with six counters on entry and another six on death, giving Omarthis a reliable high-ceiling burst.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Arcbound Overseer sees essentially zero competitive play in Legacy, Modern, or Vintage — eight mana is indefensible in formats where games end on turn three or four, and modular payoffs aren't strong enough to cheat it into relevance there. Commander is its real format: the slower clock and multiplayer board states make a flying 6/6 with a death trigger meaningful, especially in artifact-counter decks where the modular chain compounds quickly. Outside of dedicated modular builds, though, even Commander players should think twice — eight mana demands either a strong reanimation package or consistent cost reduction to feel fair.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightAshnod's AltarArcbound Overseer
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 TwilightArcbound RavagerArcbound Overseer
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 TwilightViscera SeerArcbound Overseer
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 TwilightCarrion FeederArcbound Overseer
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Infinite +1/+1 counters on certain creatures
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightAltar of DementiaArcbound Overseer
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
$1.87 cheap tier
At $1.87, Arcbound Overseer sits in cheap territory — a low barrier for a card that pulls significant weight in the right shell. The price reflects its narrow application rather than weak power, so it's unlikely to drop further while modular commanders remain popular.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight
- Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp
- Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate
- Ashnod's Altar
- Arcbound Ravager
- Viscera Seer
- Carrion Feeder
- Altar of Dementia
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.