Elite Spellbinder
Creature — Human Cleric
Flying
When this creature enters, look at target opponent's hand. You may exile a nonland card from it. For as long as that card remains exiled, its owner may play it. A spell cast this way costs 
more to cast.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Magic Online Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #15293
Elite Spellbinder lands on a 3/1 flying body and exiles a card from an opponent's hand, taxing them an extra two mana to cast it for the rest of the game. That combination of disruption and pressure on a single three-mana creature makes it one of the most efficient tempo plays white has access to.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Elite Spellbinder is a staple in white creature-based and hatebear strategies — exiling a high-value spell from the player most likely to combo off, then forcing them to pay a tax to recast it, can single-handedly delay a win by a full turn cycle. In Modern and Pioneer, it sees play in white weenie and humans shells where the flying body matters as a clock and the hand disruption synergizes with other information-gathering effects. Legacy has better options for pure disruption, so Elite Spellbinder rarely makes the cut there. Across all formats, the card rewards knowing what to exile — strip the ramp spell early, or the tutor, and the tax compounds into a real tempo swing.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available at the moment — check Scryfall or your preferred retailer for current numbers. Given its consistent role in white hatebear strategies across Commander, Modern, and Pioneer, demand tends to hold it above bulk pricing.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.