Mask of the Schemer
Artifact — Equipment
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, it connives X, where X is the amount of damage it dealt to that player. (Draw X cards, then discard X cards. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature for each nonland card discarded this way.)
Equip 
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- New Capenna Commander Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #11819
Mask of the Schemer turns every connive trigger into a free card selection engine — each time you connive, you draw then discard, which is exactly the fuel that connive-heavy builds want to snowball. At two mana to equip onto a creature you're already attacking with, the cost is low enough that the value is essentially automatic in the right shell.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus cares deeply about conniving and rewarding your smallest attacker, so Mask of the Schemer turns every combat step into a filtering engine that keeps your hand stocked while you build toward lethal unblockable swings.
Ratonhnhaké꞉ton
Ratonhnhaké꞉ton generates consistent connive triggers through combat, and Mask of the Schemer converts each of those into a draw-discard that simultaneously fuels the graveyard synergies and hand quality the deck wants.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Mask of the Schemer is a Commander card through and through — connive as a mechanic rarely appears outside multiplayer contexts, and the slow value it generates over multiple turns is best appreciated in a 40-life format where games go long enough to cash in. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but competes with formats that demand immediate, game-warping impact on turn one or two, which a two-mana equipment with a conditional trigger simply cannot provide. Oathbreaker is the one non-Commander format where it could plausibly show up, specifically in a connive-focused build, but the card pool there is narrow enough that dedicated connive strategies are uncommon. In short, sleeve it in Commander and don't think twice about the other formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Mask of the Schemer isn't currently available in this listing, so check Scryfall or your preferred vendor for the current market rate before buying. Given its narrow connive focus and Commander-only appeal, it has historically trended toward budget territory — worth confirming before you overpay.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
- Ratonhnhaké꞉ton
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.