Ith, High Arcanist
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
Vigilance
: Untap target attacking creature. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by that creature this turn.
Suspend 4—
- CMC
- 7
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- UW
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.28
- EDHREC rank
- #19361
Ith, High Arcanist turns any untap effect into a Vigilance anthem and a combat trick, which is a lot of text for a card that wins on the back of Ioreth of the Healing House costing next to nothing. The seven-mana suspend entry is the real cost — you're spending early turns doing nothing while opponents develop boards.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is the only format where Ith, High Arcanist operates at full power — the suspend mechanic and untap-tribal synergies both scale with the longer game and larger card pools that 100-card singleton provides. In Legacy and Vintage, seven mana for a creature with no immediate board impact is unplayable on rate, and the suspend line is too slow to matter in formats measured in turns two and three. Modern has enough must-answer threats at lower costs that Ith never sees competitive tables. Oathbreaker is legal but suffers the same slow-format problem; the 60-card, faster pace doesn't give the untap engine room to breathe.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Ith, High ArcanistIoreth of the Healing House
Infinite mana legendary creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of legendary creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Ith, High ArcanistUnctus, Grand Metatect
Infinite draw triggers; Infinite looting; Infinite self-discard triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Ith, High ArcanistWake Thrasher
Infinitely large creature until end of turn
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Najeela, the Blade-BlossomIth, High ArcanistJegantha, the Wellspring
Infinite combat phases; Infinite creature tokens; Infinite ETB; Infinite lifegain; Infinite lifegain triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.28 bulk tier
At $0.28, Ith, High Arcanist sits firmly in bulk territory — buy a dozen copies without thinking about it. Bulk rares with niche combo applications tend to stay flat unless a deck or synergy pushes them into the spotlight, and Ith hasn't found that moment yet.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.