Cunning Survivor
Creature — Human Warrior
Whenever you cycle or discard a card, this creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn and can't be blocked this turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Hour of Devastation
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #16781
Cunning Survivor turns every discard into a free pump and an unblockable threat — the payoff is immediate and repeatable. Captain Howler, Sea Scourge decks run it as a core piece, but any shell discarding multiple cards a turn will find it overperforms its one-mana cost.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
Captain Howler, Sea Scourge's ability to force opponents to discard means Cunning Survivor is stacking +1/+1 counters off other players' hands, not just your own — the evasion makes every trigger a guaranteed clock.
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 |
In Commander, Cunning Survivor is a staple in discard-matters builds, where a four-player table means three extra sources of triggers before you even count your own outlets. In Pauper, it fits aggressively into blue tempo or Looter-style decks that want a one-drop that rewards spell-chaining and self-discard. Modern and Legacy have faster clocks and less patience for a 1/3 that needs setup, so it doesn't see competitive play there. Cunning Survivor's real home is any format or archetype where discarding is a feature, not a cost.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Cunning Survivor is deep bulk — you're picking up a four-of for less than a dollar. That price is stable; there's no pressure driving it up and no reprint risk that matters at this floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Captain Howler, Sea Scourge
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.