Riptide Biologist
Creature — Human Wizard
Protection from Beasts
Morph 
(You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for 
. Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Onslaught
- Price
- $0.04
- EDHREC rank
- #30588
Riptide Biologist is a 1/3 for two mana with protection from sorceries — a defensive body that blanks a narrow slice of threats but does almost nothing proactive. The protection clause is too situational to justify a mainboard slot in most powered metas.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Riptide Biologist is fringe at best — protection from sorceries doesn't stop the format's most common removal (instant-speed interaction, board wipes that are instants, or targeted abilities), so the defensive upside rarely materializes. Pauper is the one format where it deserves a second look: a 1/3 body that dodges sorcery-speed removal for two mana has genuine staying power in a format where Chainer's Edict and similar effects are live threats. In Legacy and Vintage, the card is technically legal but wholly unplayable against the speed and power of those formats. Riptide Biologist's best home is a tribal Wizard shell in Commander where it counts toward synergy triggers, not a slot justified by its protection ability alone.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.04 bulk tier
At $0.04, Riptide Biologist is deep bulk — a penny-bin pickup that costs nothing to try. Don't expect the price to move; there's no competitive demand pulling it upward.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.