Illusionary Forces
Creature — Illusion
Flying
Cumulative upkeep 
(At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Masters Edition
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #30550
Illusionary Forces is a 4/4 flyer for four mana with a punishing upkeep cost — you skip the upkeep payment and it turns against you. The stats are reasonable, but the cumulative upkeep or sacrifice clause makes it a liability in any game that goes long, and Commander games always go long.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Illusionary Forces is too fragile a threat for a 100-card singleton format where games routinely hit turns 8 and beyond — the upkeep cost compounds into a real resource drain or a forced sacrifice at the worst moment. Legacy and Vintage have the raw power density to make a four-mana 4/4 with strings attached look embarrassing next to what opponents are doing on turns two and three. Pauper is its most plausible home, where a 4/4 flyer at common is a legitimate clock, but even there the upkeep clause invites counterplay that more reliable threats don't.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Illusionary Forces isn't currently available, which likely reflects low secondary market demand and sparse listings. Given its age and narrow competitive application, copies typically surface as bulk commons or cheap singles — worth picking up for pennies if you're building a themed Illusion deck, but not a card to hunt down otherwise.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.