Roiling Waters
Sorcery
Return up to two target creatures your opponents control to their owners' hands. Target player draws two cards.
- CMC
- 7
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Oath of the Gatewatch
- Price
- $0.09
- EDHREC rank
- #26411
Roiling Waters bounces up to three opposing creatures and draws you cards equal to the number returned — massive tempo swing and card advantage stapled together for seven mana. It's slow and sorcery-speed, but in blue Commander decks that generate extra mana or want to reload their hand mid-game, the ceiling is real.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Roiling Waters is a Commander card through and through — seven mana does nothing in Legacy, Modern, or Pioneer, where the game is usually over before you untap with it. In Commander, the math changes: three opponents mean more creatures to target, and bouncing three blockers or threats while drawing three cards can swing a stalled board decisively. It fits best in spell-heavy blue decks that can reliably hit seven mana and want to maintain hand size deep into the game. Oathbreaker is technically legal but too slow for that format's compressed game length.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.09 bulk tier
At $0.09, Roiling Waters is pure bulk — you're paying almost nothing for a high-ceiling late-game spell. Bulk rares at this price point don't climb unless they find a competitive home, and Roiling Waters won't, so treat it as a cheap pickup for casual Commander and nothing more.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.