Ironclaw Orcs
Creature — Orc
This creature can't block creatures with power 2 or greater.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Intl. Collectors' Edition
- Price
- $1.00
- EDHREC rank
- #29984
Ironclaw Orcs is a 2/2 for two mana with a restriction that prevents it from blocking creatures with power 2 or greater — which is most creatures worth blocking. A vanilla 2/2 that can't do its job defensively has no competitive home in any format where better options exist.
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 |
Ironclaw Orcs is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but legality and playability are different conversations. In Pauper, where the bar for two-drop creatures is already low, the blocking restriction makes Ironclaw Orcs a strict downgrade to nearly any other common 2/2. In Commander, a 99-card format where you're routinely facing 5/5s and larger, the restriction is effectively a full text box of drawback — it won't block anything relevant. Legacy and Vintage have long moved past the point where a base 2/2 with no enters-the-battlefield effect or keyword competes for a slot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.00 cheap tier
At $1.00, Ironclaw Orcs sits in the cheap tier, but that price reflects collector or casual nostalgia rather than gameplay demand. There is no competitive context where this card holds its value as a functional piece — buy it only if you're completing an old-bordered set or a themed collection.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.