Common Bond
Instant
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GW
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Return to Ravnica
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #23309
Common Bond puts two +1/+1 counters on the board split across two creatures — relevant distribution, instant speed, and a secondary life gain rider that occasionally matters in longer games. Four mana for that output is the honest ceiling on where this card belongs, and it sits squarely in budget creature-focused Commander builds rather than competitive slots.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Common Bond is a Commander card — the two-target clause and life gain rider scale best in a multiplayer context where you consistently have multiple creatures worth buffing and where the incidental life gain edges matter over long games. In Pauper it's legal and theoretically playable in go-wide green-white shells, but four mana at instant speed is a steep ask when the format's efficient pump options exist at lower cost. Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Pioneer are non-starters — the card simply doesn't match the speed or impact threshold those formats demand. Oathbreaker follows the same logic as Commander: workable in casual counters builds, but you'll find better options as the list tightens.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Common Bond is deep bulk — you can pick up a playset for the price of a pack repack and never think about the cost again. That price is stable because demand is low and supply is high; don't expect movement in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.