Ranger's Guile
Instant
Target creature you control gets +1/+1 and gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Innistrad
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #6681
Ranger's Guile gives a creature +1/+1 and hexproof until end of turn for one green mana — cheap protection that doubles as a combat trick. It's a role-player, not a staple, but The Howling Abomination and similar commanders that live and die by one key creature will run it without apology.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Howling Abomination
The Howling Abomination punishes opponents each time a creature dies, so keeping it alive through a removal spell is a genuine priority — Ranger's Guile does that for one mana while also pumping it through a potential chump blocker.
Sergeant John Benton
Sergeant John Benton wants to stay on the battlefield to generate value, and Ranger's Guile is a one-mana answer to the spot removal that would otherwise end that run ahead of schedule.
Legolas, Master Archer
Legolas, Master Archer's damage-dealing ability makes him a removal magnet, and Ranger's Guile lets him survive the blowout at instant speed while adding a point of power to close out a combat trade.
Thrun, Breaker of Silence
Thrun, Breaker of Silence already has hexproof built in, so Ranger's Guile here is almost purely a combat trick — the +1/+1 helps push through blockers or survive a fight, and the redundant hexproof layer covers the edge cases where Thrun somehow loses it.
Sarulf, Realm Eater
Sarulf, Realm Eater needs to accumulate counters to threaten a board wipe, and surviving long enough to do that is the whole game — Ranger's Guile is one of the cheapest ways to blank a removal spell aimed at protecting that counter count.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Ranger's Guile occupies a narrow but real slot: one-mana protection for a commander you cannot afford to lose. It's better in decks built around a single creature's continuous presence than in goodstuff piles where any threat will do. In Pauper, it sees occasional play in Bogles-adjacent or stompy shells where cheap hexproof effects have real economic value. Modern and Pioneer have access to Vines of Vastwood and Blossoming Defense, both of which are strictly better, so Ranger's Guile doesn't compete there. Legacy and Vintage have no reason to touch it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Ranger's Guile is deep bulk — you'll find it in any commons box at your local store for a dime. There's no meaningful price floor to fall through here, and no version of this card commands a premium.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- The Howling Abomination
- Sergeant John Benton
- Legolas, Master Archer
- Thrun, Breaker of Silence
- Sarulf, Realm Eater
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.