Modify Memory
Sorcery
Exchange control of two target creatures controlled by different players. If you control neither creature, draw three cards.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #7712
Modify Memory lets you rifle through an opponent's hand, exile up to four cards, then replace them with fresh draws — that's a hand-sculpting effect stapled to disruption, all for four mana at sorcery speed. Jon Irenicus, Shattered One runs it as a core piece, but any deck that wants to control what opponents are working with will find it pulls serious weight.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Jon Irenicus, Shattered One
Jon Irenicus, Shattered One donates creatures to opponents and then punishes them for having them — Modify Memory strips the relevant interaction pieces from their hand before they can answer the gifted threat, keeping the engine running cleanly.
Zedruu the Greathearted
Zedruu the Greathearted builds value by giving away permanents, and Modify Memory clears the counterspells or removal that would unravel that plan before opponents can deploy them.
Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist
Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist forces opponents to work with Salamander tokens they didn't ask for, and Modify Memory helps ensure they can't simply remove the tokens or Muldrak himself by stripping the answers from their hands.
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 |
Commander is where Modify Memory actually earns its slot — the multiplayer context means targeting the right opponent's hand at the right moment can swing the game, and the replacement draws soften the political hit of the disruption. In Legacy and Vintage, it's legal but has no realistic path to play; both formats have access to cheaper, more efficient hand disruption that doesn't require four mana at sorcery speed. Oathbreaker is the one non-Commander 60-card-adjacent format where it could see fringe play in a dedicated gift-giving or hand-manipulation shell, but that's a narrow ask.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Modify Memory sits firmly in bulk territory — you're picking this up as a throw-in, not a purchase. Bulk rares with narrow Commander niches rarely climb on their own, so don't expect the price to move unless a high-profile Irenicus list pushes demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Jon Irenicus, Shattered One
- Zedruu the Greathearted
- Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.