Earth Elemental
Creature — Elemental
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Limited Edition Beta
- Price
- $15.24
- EDHREC rank
- #29126
Earth Elemental is a 4/5 for five mana with no evasion, no enters-the-battlefield effect, and no text beyond its types — vanilla in the most literal sense. In 2024 Magic, that stat line doesn't clear the bar for competitive play in any format.
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 |
Earth Elemental is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but legality and playability are different conversations. In Pauper it's technically available but gets outclassed by nearly every five-drop in red or green at common. In Commander, five mana for a 4/5 with no text is a slot that should almost always go to something with an ability, a death trigger, or at least trample. Legacy and Vintage are non-starters — Earth Elemental wouldn't make a cube, let alone a competitive list.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Ripjaw Raptor costs less, hits just as hard, and replaces itself when it takes damage — strictly more useful in any deck that needs a midrange body. If the appeal is Elemental tribal synergy, Omnath, Locus of Rage tokens or Incandescent Soulstoke offer the same creature type with actual upside at comparable or lower prices.
Price Context
Current price
$15.24 mid tier
At $15.24, Earth Elemental sits in mid-tier pricing almost entirely on the back of age and nostalgia — this is a card players remember from the early days of Magic, not one anyone is buying to win games. That price will not hold pressure against reprints and is not a reflection of gameplay value.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.