Ray of Command

Instant

Untap target creature an opponent controls and gain control of it until end of turn. That creature gains haste until end of turn. When you lose control of the creature, tap it.

CMC
4
Mana cost
{3}{U}
Color identity
U
Rarity
common
Set
Mirage
Price
$0.20
EDHREC rank
#16858
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Ray of Command card art
Ray of Command steals a creature until end of turn and forces it to attack — a two-for-one threat removal and combat trick stapled together for four mana. It's a fine budget option in blue tempo and theft strategies, though the sorcery-like ceiling of a single-use instant limits its ceiling compared to repeatable alternatives.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander
legacy
modern
pioneer
standard
vintage
pauper
oathbreaker

Ray of Command is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but its home is Pauper, where the common card pool makes a clean four-mana instant-speed theft effect genuinely competitive. In Commander, Ray of Command occupies the low end of the theft genre — playable in dedicated blue tempo or untap-value shells, but rarely the first pick when Treachery and Control Magic exist. Legacy and Vintage have no interest in it; the formats are too fast and the effect too narrow to compete.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.20 bulk tier

At $0.20, Ray of Command is deep bulk — you'll find copies in any common bin without thinking twice. The price is stable because demand is narrow and supply is abundant; don't expect movement in either direction.

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Mentioned

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