Mana Drain
Instant
Counter target spell. At the beginning of your next main phase, add an amount of 
equal to that spell's mana value.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Commander Legends
- Price
- $49.64
- EDHREC rank
- #115
Mana Drain does what Counterspell does and then hands you a free spell next turn — the mana advantage it generates is the reason it's in a different class entirely. If you're in blue and can afford it, Mana Drain is the best two-mana counterspell in Commander, and Talion, the Kindly Lord builds at the top end of that curve.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | banned |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Mana Drain is banned in Legacy, the one constructed format where it's had a chance to prove itself too powerful — free or near-free mana in a format with degenerate payoffs is too much. Vintage allows it but restricts nothing (Vintage allows nearly everything), so that's a low bar. Commander gives it a pass for the same structural reason most powerful cards survive the format: you're playing against three opponents, the mana boost is a one-turn window, and answers come from every direction. The politics and board complexity of a four-player game do more to contain Mana Drain than any ban.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Talion, the Kindly Lord
Talion, the Kindly Lord names a number, and opponents who want to play Magic at all will trigger it constantly — Mana Drain fits cleanly at converted mana cost two and keeps the engine fueled while banking mana for the next threat.
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy wants mana in absurd quantities, and Mana Drain converts an opponent's big spell directly into the colorless surplus Kinnan needs to start activating on the spot.
Tivit, Seller of Secrets
Tivit, Seller of Secrets runs a tight permission shell that protects its combo turns, and Mana Drain pulls double duty — it stops interaction and then funds the next piece of the puzzle on the following turn.
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV already taxes everything your opponents cast, and Mana Drain on top of that means countering a spell they overpaid for while pocketing even more mana — the incremental advantage compounds fast.
Urza, Lord High Artificer
Urza, Lord High Artificer converts every artifact into a mana source, so the colorless rider on Mana Drain feeds directly into Urza's activated ability and keeps the artifact storm churning.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Counterspell is the honest replacement for Mana Drain — same cost, same effect, zero mana bonus, and under a dollar. If you want something closer to the tempo swing, Arcane Denial replaces itself with a card draw and costs fractions of a cent, though you give your opponent two cards; neither alternative matches the raw mana advantage Mana Drain generates, which is ultimately what you're paying the premium for.
Price Context
Current price
$49.64 premium tier
At $49.64, Mana Drain sits firmly in premium counterspell territory — comparable to other Reserved List staples that see consistent competitive play. It has held that price range for years without significant movement, which is about as stable as any high-end Commander card gets.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.