Giver of Runes
Creature — Kor Cleric
: Another target creature you control gains protection from colorless or from the color of your choice until end of turn.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Modern Horizons 1 Timeshifts
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #1429
Giver of Runes is one of the most efficient protection pieces in white — a one-mana 1/2 that hands out free protection activations every turn to any creature you control, including itself once it's no longer a new permanent. The cost is tapping, which means you're choosing between offense and defense, but for decks built around one key creature surviving to attack or activate, that trade-off is almost always worth it — Plagon, Lord of the Beach decks running it at over 40% inclusion rate says everything.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Plagon, Lord of the Beach
Plagon, Lord of the Beach wins by connecting with its Beach Boys triggers, and Giver of Runes keeps Plagon alive through spot removal and blocks on the turn it needs to attack — a single protection activation can mean the difference between a full combat trigger and a dead commander.
Winota, Joiner of Forces
Winota, Joiner of Forces needs non-Humans to survive combat to trigger her ability, and Giver of Runes can blank the most threatening blocker or dodge a removal spell aimed at a key attacker mid-combat when Winota fires.
Frodo, Sauron's Bane
Frodo, Sauron's Bane needs to deal combat damage consistently to advance toward its Ring-bearer win condition, and Giver of Runes hands it evasion against any single color blocker standing in the way.
Karlov of the Ghost Council
Karlov of the Ghost Council is a must-kill threat that grows fast and demands answers, and Giver of Runes gives it a recurring layer of protection that forces opponents to hold up multiple pieces of interaction instead of one.
Burakos, Party Leader // Folk Hero
Burakos, Party Leader // Folk Hero generates value every time Burakos connects, so keeping it alive through removal and chump blocks is a structural priority — Giver of Runes is the cheapest repeatable way to do that.
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 |
In Commander, Giver of Runes is a staple in any white deck built around a single creature that needs to survive — it protects your commander from targeted removal and turns combat math in your favor at essentially zero mana cost per activation. In Legacy and Vintage, it sees play in white creature shells like Death and Taxes, where taxing effects and disruption make every combat step count and the one-mana cost is ideal for mana-light strategies. Modern is where Giver of Runes has carved out its most visible competitive role, slotting into humans, hatebears, and Aether Vial decks that need to protect key pieces from both removal and specific blockers. It's not legal in Pioneer, Standard, or Pauper, which limits its reach but does nothing to diminish how well it performs in the formats where it is available.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available at the moment, so check Scryfall or your preferred marketplace for the current number. Giver of Runes has historically settled in the $3–8 range depending on supply, though reprint history can shift that — worth verifying before you buy.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Plagon, Lord of the Beach
- Winota, Joiner of Forces
- Frodo, Sauron's Bane
- Karlov of the Ghost Council
- Burakos, Party Leader // Folk Hero
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.