Protector of the Wastes
Creature — Dragon
Flying
When this creature enters or becomes monstrous, exile up to two target artifacts and/or enchantments controlled by different players.
: Monstrosity 3. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put three +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.)
- CMC
- 6
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander
- Price
- $0.31
- EDHREC rank
- #10757
Protector of the Wastes puts a meaningful body on the board and generates value the turn it enters — the payoff is real. The question is always whether your deck can absorb the cost, and in the right shell, the answer is yes.
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 |
Protector of the Wastes is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Legacy and Vintage have no realistic home for it — the competition at every point on the curve is too steep. Commander is where it actually lives, slotting into strategies that want redundant effects or bodies that do something relevant beyond just blocking. Oathbreaker is a fringe consideration if your planeswalker and signature spell create a synergistic loop, but Commander is the target format by a wide margin.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.31 bulk tier
At $0.31, Protector of the Wastes is firmly bulk — you're picking it up as a throw-in or out of a bulk bin. Bulk rares at this price point don't tend to climb unless a format-defining deck adopts them, and there's no current pressure driving that here.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.