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Proteus Machine

Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter

Morph {0} (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for {3}. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
When this creature is turned face up, it becomes the creature type of your choice. (This effect lasts indefinitely.)

CMC
3
Mana cost
{3}
Color identity
C
Rarity
uncommon
Set
Scourge
Price
$0.29
EDHREC rank
#16677
Buy on TCGplayer
Proteus Machine card art
Proteus Machine is a shapeshifter that enters as any creature type you name, which makes it an instant enabler for tribal synergies and, more importantly, a Forest-producing combo piece the moment Yedora, Grave Gardener hits the table. The cost — three mana for a 2/2 with no built-in protection — is real, but the payoff in the right shell makes that irrelevant.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Yedora, Grave Gardener

Yedora, Grave Gardener

48.9% of decks · synergy 0.48

When Proteus Machine dies under Yedora, Grave Gardener, it returns as a face-down Forest — and since it can re-enter naming any creature type, the loop generates effectively unlimited landfall and graveyard triggers with the right pieces in play.

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

Proteus Machine sees essentially zero play in Legacy and Vintage — those formats move too fast for a 2/2 that requires setup to matter, and neither format has a critical mass of Yedora-style recursive engines to abuse it. Commander is where it lives, specifically in the Yedora, Grave Gardener shell where Proteus Machine is a cornerstone combo enabler rather than a role-player. It's legal in Oathbreaker as well, though the same dependency on a specific commander strategy applies there.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.29 bulk tier

At $0.29, Proteus Machine is deep bulk — easy to pick up as a throw-in or cheap single. Bulk combo pieces with a narrow but dedicated home tend to stay cheap unless the commander they enable spikes in popularity, so don't expect movement.

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Sources

Mentioned

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