Oracle of Bones
Creature — Minotaur Shaman
Haste
Tribute 2 (As this creature enters, an opponent of your choice may put two +1/+1 counters on it.)
When this creature enters, if tribute wasn't paid, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand without paying its mana cost.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Born of the Gods
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #17450
Oracle of Bones drops a 5/3 haste that casts a free instant or sorcery from your hand — the payoff is real, but it hinges entirely on winning a combat damage trigger against a willing or outmatched blocker. In Sethron, Hurloon General decks where every Minotaur attack is backed by a board of triggers and pumps, that condition is easy to meet; in slower or more interactive metas, it's a liability.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Sethron, Hurloon General
Sethron, Hurloon General turns every Minotaur ETB into a token and a buff, so Oracle of Bones hits a wide board the moment it lands — connecting for the free spell trigger is almost automatic when your opponent is staring down three pumped Minotaurs swinging alongside it.
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 |
Oracle of Bones is a Commander card through and through — the free spell trigger scales with the high-impact instants and sorceries that dominate the format, and tribal synergy commanders like Sethron, Hurloon General create the exact board conditions that make the trigger reliable. In Modern and Pioneer it's too fragile: five toughness dies to everything, and competitive decks won't gift you unblocked damage on turn four. Legacy and Vintage have access to spells worth cheating into play, but Oracle of Bones is too slow and conditional to displace purpose-built cheat-into-play packages in those formats. Stick to Commander.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Oracle of Bones is deep bulk — you're paying almost nothing for a card with a real ceiling in the right deck. Bulk rares rarely recover meaningful value, so buy it for the effect, not the spec.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.