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Hidden Strings

Sorcery

You may tap or untap target permanent, then you may tap or untap another target permanent.
Cipher (Then you may exile this spell card encoded on a creature you control. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may cast a copy of the encoded card without paying its mana cost.)

CMC
2
Mana cost
{1}{U}
Color identity
U
Rarity
common
Set
Dragon's Maze
Price
$0.36
EDHREC rank
#4459
Buy on TCGplayer
Hidden Strings card art
Hidden Strings untaps two permanents and then does it again for free the next time you cast a spell — two untap triggers for two mana is the whole argument. Shells built around Primal Amulet // Primal Wellspring or Orvar, the All-Form turn that free cipher cast into a third trigger, which is where the card stops being a bargain and starts being an engine.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Orvar, the All-Form

Orvar, the All-Form

66.5% of decks · synergy 0.63

Hidden Strings is in over 66% of Orvar, the All-Form decks because every cipher cast is a targeting spell that triggers Orvar, generating a token copy of whatever permanent you pointed it at — untap two things, get a free permanent, repeat next spell.

02

Ral, Monsoon Mage

42.8% of decks · synergy 0.41

Ral, Monsoon Mage cares about casting instants and sorceries repeatedly, and Hidden Strings delivers two casts from one card once it encodes, doubling Ral's damage triggers and storm-style payoffs without spending extra cards.

03
Hylda of the Icy Crown

Hylda of the Icy Crown

22.9% of decks · synergy 0.21

Hylda of the Icy Crown rewards you for tapping opponents' creatures, and Hidden Strings conveniently taps one target on resolution — cipher then lets you tap again for Hylda's token or +1/+1 trigger next attack.

04
Stella Lee, Wild Card

Stella Lee, Wild Card

20.5% of decks · synergy 0.19

Stella Lee, Wild Card generates value each time you cast your second spell per turn, and Hidden Strings encodes onto an attacker to guarantee that second cast every combat step at zero extra mana.

05
Alaundo the Seer

Alaundo the Seer

12.2% of decks · synergy 0.12

Alaundo the Seer removes time counters equal to the number of spells cast in a turn, and Hidden Strings casts twice from one card, shaving two counters off whatever's on top and accelerating the cascade chain.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper legal
oathbreaker legal

Hidden Strings is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker. Commander is its natural home — the longer game gives cipher time to generate repeated value, and the permanent-heavy battlefield means two untap targets are almost always available. In Pauper it sees niche play in combo shells that need repeated mana from Springleaf Drum or Petal effects, though dedicated storm lists usually prefer cheaper cantrips. In Modern and Pioneer the competition from faster, more direct spells is steep enough that Hidden Strings rarely makes cuts outside very specific untap-combo builds. Legacy and Vintage have the raw power to abuse cipher but also have better options, so it's a fringe card in those formats at best.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.36 bulk tier

At $0.36, Hidden Strings is bulk — pick it up in any common box or throw it in a cart without thinking about the price. Bulk enchantments with combo applications rarely spike unless a new commander breaks them wide open, so treat this as a stable cheap inclusion rather than anything to speculate on.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

← All cards

Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.