Crackling Cyclops
Creature — Cyclops Wizard
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Foundations
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #14432
Crackling Cyclops swings as a 4/1 trampler the turn you cast an instant or sorcery, which in a spell-heavy deck translates to a reliably massive attacker for three mana. Balmor, Battlemage Captain is the natural home — every cantrip and removal spell stacks both commanders' bonus and the Cyclops' pump simultaneously, making combat math a nightmare for opponents.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Balmor, Battlemage Captain
Balmor, Battlemage Captain triggers Crackling Cyclops on every instant and sorcery, so a single Brainstorm or Lightning Bolt can swing the Cyclops in as a 7/1 trampler before Balmor even adds his own buff — the two pump effects stack on the same spells, requiring zero extra setup.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Crackling Cyclops is a role-player in Izzet spell-slinger builds where casting two or three spells per turn is routine — the Cyclops' power scales with what the deck already wants to do. Outside Commander, it's legal everywhere but rarely competitive: Modern and Pioneer have faster threats that don't require a spell-rich shell to threaten meaningful damage. Pauper is the one non-Commander format worth a look, where three-mana 3/3-equivalent attackers with trample can actually pressure opponents in tempo-oriented Izzet builds.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Crackling Cyclops is firmly bulk — the kind of card you pull from a common box rather than buy. Bulk commons almost never appreciate, so there's no reason to stock up beyond the copies you need.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.