Ironshell Beetle
Creature — Insect
When this creature enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Judgment
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #18691
Ironshell Beetle enters the battlefield and immediately puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature of your choice — that's a real, permanent effect for two mana on a 1/2 body. It's not exciting, but in counter-based strategies it does exactly what it says and leaves something behind.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ironshell Beetle is fringe playable only in dedicated +1/+1 counter decks that want every possible trigger for commanders like Hamza, Guardian of Arashin or Zegana, Utopian Speaker — elsewhere it's too low-impact at two mana for one counter. Pauper is where Ironshell Beetle has the most realistic case, since the common card pool is shallow enough that incidental enters-the-battlefield counter effects can matter in stompy or evolve shells. In Modern and Pioneer the competition from two-drop creatures is brutal, and Ironshell Beetle doesn't come close to making the cut. Legacy and Vintage are non-starters.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Ironshell Beetle is deep bulk — you'll find it in a commons box before you'd ever buy it singles. There's no price ceiling to grow into here; it's a throw-in card and will stay that way.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.