Balance of Power
Sorcery
If target opponent has more cards in hand than you, draw cards equal to the difference.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Eighth Edition
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #24502
Balance of Power lets you draw cards equal to the difference between your hand size and the opponent with the most cards — free card advantage whenever anyone out-draws you. The catch is the condition flips off when you're already ahead, so it rewards patience over aggression.
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 |
Balance of Power is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but its home is Commander — three opponents means at least one player almost always holds more cards than you, so the draw condition is practically guaranteed. In Legacy and Vintage, hand sizes equalize too quickly under the pressure of fast threats and cantrips for Balance of Power to compete with Ancestral Recall or even Concentrate. Modern has enough card-draw density that opponents rarely run far ahead, and a four-mana sorcery that might draw three is simply too slow. Commander is where Balance of Power earns its slot: multiplayer card advantage scales in ways 60-card formats never test.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Price data for Balance of Power isn't currently available in the system — check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for a live number. Given its niche application and low reprint profile, supply tends to be thin, so buylist and retail prices can spread wider than typical Commander staples.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.