Harbinger of the Tides
Creature — Merfolk Wizard
You may cast this spell as though it had flash if you pay 
more to cast it. (You may cast it any time you could cast an instant.)
When this creature enters, you may return target tapped creature an opponent controls to its owner's hand.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Commander 2017
- Price
- $0.36
- EDHREC rank
- #11326
Harbinger of the Tides bounces a tapped creature on entry — no mana investment beyond its casting cost, and that cost can be paid as a flash play on your opponent's end step. In Merfolk shells built around Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca, that's a two-mana interaction piece that also counts toward Kumena's tap-three requirement.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca wants as many Merfolk on board as possible to fuel its tap abilities, and Harbinger of the Tides earns its slot twice — once as a removal-adjacent tempo play and again as the second body that makes tapping three creatures viable as early as turn three.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Harbinger of the Tides is a role-player rather than a staple: Merfolk tribal decks run it, everything else ignores it, since bouncing one tapped creature rarely swings a four-player game on its own. In Modern and Legacy, it has seen legitimate play in Merfolk aggro sideboards, where flash timing lets it ambush an attacker or reset a problematic creature without tapping out on your turn. Pioneer and Standard legality exist on paper, but dedicated Merfolk tempo shells are thin in those formats, which limits its reach. Across every 60-card format, the ceiling is a two-of in tribal sideboards — useful in the matchups where it's good, invisible otherwise.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.36 bulk tier
At $0.36, Harbinger of the Tides is firmly bulk — cheap enough to pick up without thought if you're building Merfolk. Bulk tribal roleplayers at this price point rarely move unless a new commander drives a sudden spike in Merfolk demand, so don't expect volatility in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.