Flailing Ogre
Creature — Ogre
: This creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Any player may activate this ability.: This creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Any player may activate this ability.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Mercadian Masques
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #29200
Flailing Ogre enters as a 4/4 for three mana — above-rate by any measure — but the catch is real: any opponent can pay one mana to permanently hand control of it to you, locking you into a permanent threat you can never freely swing with. Unless you have a plan to exploit or neutralize that drawback, the Ogre punishes you more than it punishes opponents.
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 |
In Commander, Flailing Ogre is a novelty at best and a liability at worst — three opponents each have the option to neuter it, and at least one will, leaving you with a 4/4 that can't attack without asking permission. Legacy and Vintage are formats where Flailing Ogre is technically legal but never sees play; the card pool is too deep for a conditional beater with a built-in surrender clause to compete. Oathbreaker shares the same problem as Commander at smaller scale: one opponent with a spare mana ends the threat permanently.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Flailing Ogre is deep bulk — the price reflects exactly what it is. Don't expect the value to move; there's no competitive context that rehabilitates this card's drawback.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.