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Arcbound Stinger

Artifact Creature — Insect

Flying
Modular 1 (This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)

CMC
2
Mana cost
{2}
Color identity
C
Rarity
common
Set
Darksteel
Price
$0.19
EDHREC rank
#8129
Buy on TCGplayer
Arcbound Stinger card art
Arcbound Stinger enters as a 0/0 flier that grows itself and redistributes its +1/+1 counters on death — the modular payoff is real the moment it hits the battlefield. Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp turns every point of modular into two, and Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight makes the Stinger a counter-farming engine on a stick; outside those shells, it's a fine role-player but not a must-include.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp

Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp

86.6% of decks · synergy 0.85

Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp doubles every modular trigger, so Arcbound Stinger's death doesn't just recycle counters — it multiplies them, making the Stinger a recursive counter-generator that compounds with every other Arcbound creature in the deck.

02
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate

Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate

26.2% of decks · synergy 0.24

Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate cares about proliferate and +1/+1 counters at scale, and Arcbound Stinger supplies both a flying body to grow and a modular death trigger that seeds counters onto whatever creature needs them most.

03
Sephiroth, Fallen Hero

Sephiroth, Fallen Hero

16.7% of decks · synergy 0.15

Sephiroth, Fallen Hero wants creatures that already carry +1/+1 counters into combat, and Arcbound Stinger's modular lets you redirect accumulated counters to Sephiroth himself, fueling his progression without spending extra resources.

04
Marchesa, the Black Rose

Marchesa, the Black Rose

10.7% of decks · synergy 0.10

Marchesa, the Black Rose rewards creatures that can dethrone opponents and then recur themselves, and Arcbound Stinger's modular means each recur cycle can land counters on Marchesa herself to keep her dethrone window open.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper legal
oathbreaker legal

In Commander, Arcbound Stinger slots cleanly into any Arcbound or +1/+1 counter shell — the two-mana entry cost is low enough that it rarely feels like a liability, and modular ensures it contributes even when answered. In Pauper, it's a legitimate piece of the Affinity and Arcbound creature packages, where a cheap flying body with a death trigger does real work. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but don't need it — faster, higher-ceiling artifact creatures crowd it out of any competitive list. It's absent from Pioneer and Standard, so Commander and Pauper are where Arcbound Stinger actually earns its slot.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

60 decks
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightArcbound Stinger

Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightArcbound Stinger

Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite death triggers; Draw the game

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

Price Context

Current price

$0.19 bulk tier

At $0.19, Arcbound Stinger is deep bulk — you're picking it out of a commons box or tossing it into a cart to hit free shipping. Demand from Zabaz builds keeps a floor under it, but there's no price appreciation story here; buy it because it's in the right deck, not because it's a deal.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.