Lost in Thought

In Commander, Lost in Thought earns its slot in blue control and stax builds that want to neutralize a commander or a key combo piece without spending a hard removal spell — the cumulative upkeep clause means the opponent eventually has to choose between paying or losing tempo, and either outcome is fine for you. In Pauper, it's a legitimate control tool at common, taxing threats in a format where mana is tight enough that the cumulative cost actually bites. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but rarely want it — both formats kill or counter threats outright, and a soft-lock that costs the opponent mana is far too slow against the raw power available. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander's use case closely, and the smaller starting life total makes stalling a threat even more impactful.