Mind Flayer
Creature — Horror
Dominate Monster — When this creature enters, gain control of target creature for as long as you control this creature.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Adventures in the Forgotten Realms
- Price
- $0.35
- EDHREC rank
- #4394
Mind Flayer enters the battlefield and steals a creature — no attack required, no waiting — and keeps it as long as the Flayer stays in play. Five mana for a 4/4 that rips your opponent's best threat is a reasonable rate, and Captain N'ghathrod makes it even better by turning the stolen creature into a mill trigger.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Captain N'ghathrod
Mind Flayer slots directly into Captain N'ghathrod's mill-and-steal gameplan: the stolen creature attacks alongside N'ghathrod, milling the victim further and potentially funding another theft from the graveyard.
Umbris, Fear Manifest
Mind Flayer is a Horror, which matters — Umbris, Fear Manifest gets bigger every time a card is exiled from an opponent's library or graveyard, and a 4/4 body that also steals a blocker is exactly the kind of two-for-one this deck wants.
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin
Xanathar, Guild Kingpin locks opponents out of playing their cards, and Mind Flayer compounds that lock by physically removing their best permanent from the equation while it's in play.
Volo, Guide to Monsters
Mind Flayer is an Aberration, and Volo, Guide to Monsters copies non-Human creatures of types not already on the battlefield — a Volo trigger on Mind Flayer means two stolen creatures for five mana.
Orvar, the All-Form
Orvar, the All-Form copies permanents whenever you cast a spell that targets them, so pointing a cheap cantrip at your own Mind Flayer creates a second Flayer — and a second stolen creature — at minimal cost.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Mind Flayer does its best work: multiplayer boards are full of high-value creatures worth stealing, and the threat of a 4/4 holding someone's commander hostage creates real political pressure. In competitive 60-card formats like Modern and Pioneer, five mana for a conditional removal effect stapled to a medium body is too slow — Ravenform and Swords to Plowshares handle threats faster and cheaper. Legacy and Vintage have the raw power density to make Mind Flayer look irrelevant by comparison. Stick to Commander.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.35 bulk tier
At $0.35, Mind Flayer is deep bulk — there's no financial barrier to picking up copies, and demand from Captain N'ghathrod and Volo, Guide to Monsters decks keeps it from disappearing entirely. Don't expect movement in either direction; it's a stable, low-ceiling roleplayer.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Captain N'ghathrod
- Umbris, Fear Manifest
- Xanathar, Guild Kingpin
- Volo, Guide to Monsters
- Orvar, the All-Form
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.