Compulsive Research
Sorcery
Target player draws three cards. Then that player discards two cards unless they discard a land card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Commander Legends
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #4305
Compulsive Research draws three cards for three mana — the discard rider is real, but a land in hand late-game or a spell you've already cast makes it trivial. In Shiko and Narset, Unified decks it's essentially unconditional, since the commander's ability turns discarded noncreature spells into free casts.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Shiko and Narset, Unified
Shiko and Narset, Unified converts the discard from a cost into an advantage engine — anything you pitch to Compulsive Research can be cast for free off the exile trigger, which means you're drawing three and often casting a bonus spell in the same turn.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Compulsive Research is a Pauper staple — three cards at common rarity for three mana is a genuine rate in a format where card advantage is scarce, and the discard condition rarely matters when hands are already thin by the mid-game. In Commander it's a perfectly serviceable budget option, though it faces stiff competition from Preordain, Ponder, and the one-mana cantrip suite that go wider for less. Legacy and Vintage have better options at every point on the curve, so Compulsive Research doesn't see meaningful play there despite being legal. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read — run it when you need cheap draw and the budget matters.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, Compulsive Research sits firmly in bulk territory and has for years — the card sees enough Pauper demand to keep it in print but not enough eternal-format demand to push the price anywhere. Bulk stays bulk; pick up as many copies as you need without a second thought.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.