Maralen, Fae Ascendant
Legendary Creature — Elf Faerie Noble
Flying
Whenever Maralen or another Elf or Faerie you control enters, exile the top two cards of target opponent's library.
Once each turn, you may cast a spell with mana value less than or equal to the number of Elves and Faeries you control from among cards exiled with Maralen this turn without paying its mana cost.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BGU
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Lorwyn Eclipsed
- Price
- $0.29
- EDHREC rank
- #7300
Maralen, Fae Ascendant shuts off all card drawing and replaces it with a tutor-at-a-cost effect that hurts everyone equally — including you, until you break the symmetry. The card is either a engine piece in a deck built around the lock or a liability that hands opponents free tutors; there is no neutral version of running it.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Maralen, Fae Ascendant is a build-around piece, not a role-player — three opponents all gaining free tutors every turn is catastrophic without a plan to either win immediately or pair her with effects that punish or negate the tutor entirely. In Legacy and Vintage she's outclassed by faster lock pieces and sees virtually no competitive play despite being legal. Modern and Pioneer lack the critical mass of faerie or draw-hate synergies to make her consistent enough for competitive slots. Oathbreaker is the sleeper format here: as a signature spell target or in a low-player-count game, the symmetrical cost hits fewer opponents and the life loss adds up faster.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.29 bulk tier
At $0.29, Maralen, Fae Ascendant is bulk-bin pricing for a card with a genuinely narrow application — that price reflects real demand scarcity, not a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. It's a stable bulk rate; pick it up if you're building the lock, but don't expect meaningful appreciation.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.