Awaken the Sleeper
Sorcery
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. If it's equipped, you may destroy all Equipment attached to that creature.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Phyrexia: All Will Be One
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #15978
Awaken the Sleeper destroys a creature and replaces it with a 4/4 Demon token on your side — four mana for a two-for-one swing in board presence. It's a solid role-player in black-red Commander decks that want removal doubling as a threat.
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 |
In Commander, Awaken the Sleeper earns its slot in black-red decks that need removal with upside — destroying a utility creature and landing a 4/4 body can shift a game state meaningfully at four mana. Outside Commander, the card doesn't compete: Pioneer and Modern have cleaner, cheaper interaction, and the sorcery speed plus restrictive color cost make it a non-starter in any format where tempo matters. Legacy and Vintage have no interest at all. Commander is the only home where the token body justifies the cost.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Awaken the Sleeper is deep bulk — easy to pick up as a throw-in. Bulk rares with niche Commander appeal tend to stay flat, so there's no reason to acquire more than the one copy you need.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.