Erratic Cyclops
Creature — Cyclops Shaman
Trample
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, this creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn, where X is that spell's mana value.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Guilds of Ravnica
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #17658
Erratic Cyclops swings for massive damage in spell-heavy decks — a 0/8 that gets +X/+0 until end of turn equal to the total power of instant and sorcery spells you cast this turn, then attacks, is a one-card kill condition when you're chaining draw spells and cantrips. The cost is real: you need a critical mass of instants and sorceries, a way to give it haste, or simply patience waiting for combat — tap it wrong and it's a 0/8 that does nothing.
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, Erratic Cyclops earns a slot in Izzet spellslinger decks that want an alternate win condition beyond direct damage — commanders like Mizzix of the Izmagnus or Veyran, Voice of Duality turn a string of cheap spells into a lethal swing. Competitive non-Commander formats largely ignore it: Pioneer and Modern have faster, more consistent threats that don't require spell sequencing to threaten lethal. Legacy has the raw cantrip density to make Erratic Cyclops dangerous in theory, but the format's combo speed makes a combat-dependent finisher awkward. Commander is simply the right home — multiplayer games give you the turns to set up, and the Cyclops punishes opponents who tap out on your turn.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Erratic Cyclops is firmly bulk — easy to pick up in a trade binder or toss into a cart without a second thought. Bulk mythics and rares with narrow synergy requirements rarely climb unless a new commander warps demand around them, so treat this as a functional role-player you buy for pennies, not a spec.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.