Balshan Griffin
Creature — Griffin
Flying
, Discard a card: Return this creature to its owner's hand.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Odyssey
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #30954
Balshan Griffin is a 3/2 flier that lets you discard a card to tap down a blocker at instant speed — a marginal effect stapled to an undersized body for five mana. It rarely makes the cut in any serious list.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Balshan Griffin is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but sees effectively no play in any of them. In Commander, five mana for a 3/2 with a conditional tap ability is far below rate when blue has access to Azorious Skyknight-tier bodies and better disruption at every point on the curve. Legacy and Vintage have no interest in a card this slow and this marginal. Oathbreaker is no different — the formats where Balshan Griffin is legal are precisely the formats where the competition is steepest.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Balshan Griffin is deep bulk — a price that reflects exactly how rarely anyone wants it. Don't expect that floor to move; there is no sleeper upside here.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.