Relic Bind
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant artifact an opponent controls
Whenever enchanted artifact becomes tapped, choose one —
• This Aura deals 1 damage to target player or planeswalker.
• Target player gains 1 life.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #27129
Relic Bind taxes an opponent's artifact every time it activates — either draining them for 1 and gaining you 1, or blanking the activation entirely by forcing the controller to pay an extra mana. The enchantment costs two mana and requires a target artifact already on the table, which makes it reactive and narrow enough that only dedicated artifact-hate or group-slug builds want it.
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 |
Commander is where Relic Bind has any real home, and even there it's a niche inclusion — artifact-heavy metas with lots of Mana Vault, Basalt Monolith, or Unwinding Clock activations give it repeated value, while creature-heavy pods leave it stranded on a Signet nobody bothers to crack. Legacy and Vintage are legal formats but Relic Bind sees zero competitive play there; single-target enchantments at two mana that don't immediately affect the board don't survive those formats' efficiency standards. Oathbreaker is legal as well, and the smaller table size slightly improves the odds of hitting a relevant target, but the same fundamental limitation applies.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Relic Bind isn't currently available, and copies surface infrequently enough that market listings vary widely — check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for a live number before buying. Given its narrow application and low demand, it's almost certainly a bulk rare or uncommon, and there's no urgency to acquire it unless your deck specifically wants it today.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.