Dominate
Instant
Gain control of target creature with mana value X or less.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Commander 2015
- Price
- $0.39
- EDHREC rank
- #16611
Dominate steals any non-land permanent outright — no maximum mana cost, no condition, just X blue mana and it's yours. The catch is the sorcery speed and double-blue requirement, which makes it a Commander card rather than a universal staple.
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 |
Commander is where Dominate earns its keep — the format's singleton rule and multiplayer table politics make stealing a key permanent more impactful than countering or destroying it, and the uncapped X means you can take a Blightsteel Colossus or an Eldrazi titan if you have the mana. Legacy and Vintage are legal but uninterested; faster, more efficient interaction dominates those formats and sorcery speed is a serious liability in 1v1. Oathbreaker is legal and the smaller game state makes Dominate's floor higher, since targets are fewer and stealing one matters more.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.39 bulk tier
At $0.39, Dominate sits firmly in bulk territory despite being a unique effect — there's no strict upgrade at any price point for an uncapped, unconditional permanent theft at sorcery speed. It's stable bulk; nothing about the demand profile suggests movement in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.