Elvish Bard
Creature — Elf Shaman Bard
All creatures able to block this creature do so.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Ninth Edition
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #23501
Elvish Bard forces all creatures your opponents control to block it if able — a five-mana 2/3 that redirects an entire combat step. The effect is powerful in the right shell, but the body is fragile and the cost is steep for a creature that folds to any instant-speed removal before blockers are declared.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Elvish Bard lives almost exclusively in Commander, where multiplayer boards are clogged enough that its forced-block ability can drain multiple opponents' creatures in a single attack. In Legacy, Modern, and Vintage it's legally playable but effectively invisible — five mana for a 2/3 with a situational combat trick doesn't come close to competing in those formats. Oathbreaker has the same legality as Commander and the same logic applies: token or go-wide strategies that want to suicide attackers into opponents' boards are where Elvish Bard finds a home.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Elvish Bard is pure bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. That price is unlikely to move in either direction; the card sees narrow enough play that no spike is coming, and it's already at floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.