Chain of Vapor
Instant
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Then that permanent's controller may sacrifice a land of their choice. If the player does, they may copy this spell and may choose a new target for that copy.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Mystery Booster 2
- Price
- $10.06
- EDHREC rank
- #900
Chain of Vapor is a one-mana instant that bounces any nonland permanent — your own or an opponent's — and that floor alone earns its slot in blue combo decks. The chain clause is mostly irrelevant in Commander, but in storm and artifact-storm shells like Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept or Haru, Hidden Talent the real value is resetting your own cheap permanents to recast them for triggers and value.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept is an artifact-storm deck at heart, and Chain of Vapor is one of its most efficient ways to bounce and recast zero-cost artifacts, generating storm count and Silas triggers in a single mana.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce leans on casting multiple spells per turn to trigger Vial Smasher, and Chain of Vapor at one mana is a trivial include that also doubles as a way to reset Malcolm himself when you need to reconfigure the board.
Ral, Monsoon Mage
Ral, Monsoon Mage rewards every instant and sorcery cast, so Chain of Vapor slots in as cheap spell-count padding that also handles opposing threats when the board demands it.
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero is a high-powered goodstuff-combo shell where Chain of Vapor earns its slot as a one-mana answer to stax pieces like Collector Ouphe or Drannith Magistrate that would otherwise lock the deck out.
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy combos through mana doublers and activated abilities, and Chain of Vapor is the cheapest way to bounce an opposing stax piece that taxes blue mana or restricts activations before Kinnan can go off.
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 |
In Commander, Chain of Vapor occupies a specific niche: it's not a staple in every blue deck, but it's close to mandatory in any deck that either wins through storm-count accumulation or loses to one-card stax pieces. The one-mana cost is the entire argument — Cyclonic Rift answers more at once, but Chain costs seven less. In Legacy, it sees occasional play in combo decks that need to bounce their own permanents to set up a kill, though the format's answer density limits how often a single bounce spell decides a game. Vintage offers a similar role, mostly as a flexible cantrip-adjacent spell in powered shells where the opponent's fast mana or lock pieces need to be cleared at instant speed. Chain of Vapor is not legal in Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or Pauper, so if you're building outside Commander or the eternal formats, it's not an option.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Haru, Hidden TalentRetreat to EmeriaChain of Vapor
Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite magecraft triggers; Infinite landfall triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Unsummon and Vapor Snag both cost one mana and handle creatures, but neither touches artifacts or enchantments — the moment an opposing Grafted Exoskeleton or Rhystic Study is the problem, they're useless. If the goal is bouncing your own permanents for value rather than answering opponents, Temur Sabertooth is a repeatable engine at a much lower price point, though it requires green and asks for mana investment rather than one clean instant.
Price Context
Current price
$10.06 mid tier
At $10.06, Chain of Vapor sits in the mid tier — meaningful but not prohibitive for the decks that genuinely want it. The price is justified in high-powered and cEDH Commander, where its unique combination of one-mana cost and hit-anything targeting has no direct substitute.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Haru, Hidden Talent
- Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
- Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce
- Ral, Monsoon Mage
- Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero
- Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
- Retreat to Emeria
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.