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Memory Crystal

Artifact

Buyback costs cost {2} less.

CMC
3
Mana cost
{3}
Color identity
C
Rarity
rare
Set
Exodus
Price
$1.96
EDHREC rank
#23321
Buy on TCGplayer
Memory Crystal card art
Memory Crystal reduces the buyback cost of every spell in your deck by two generic mana, turning expensive recursive spells like Reiterate from a tax into a tempo-neutral loop. Three mana for a static cost reduction that compounds with every buyback spell you cast is straightforwardly good.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Memory Crystal earns its slot — buyback spells are already popular in the format's longer games, and a single artifact that discounts all of them permanently is a serious force multiplier. Legacy and Vintage are legal homes but impractical ones; the formats move too fast for a three-mana do-nothing artifact to survive long enough to pay off. Oathbreaker is a reasonable fit for the same reason Commander is, especially in spell-heavy builds where buyback recursion closes games.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$1.96 cheap tier

At $1.96, Memory Crystal sits in budget territory for what is effectively a build-around enabler. It's a niche card with a narrow audience, so the price is unlikely to spike unless a high-profile buyback combo breaks into the mainstream — but at this price, the buy-in risk is minimal.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.