Run Aground
Instant
Put target artifact or creature on top of its owner's library.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Ixalan
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #25218
Run Aground puts a creature or artifact on top of its owner's library — effectively a one-turn removal spell that costs them a draw step. Four mana at instant speed is the ceiling of acceptable for this effect, and Run Aground sits right at that ceiling: fine when you need the interaction, outclassed the moment budget isn't a constraint.
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, Run Aground fills the role of tempo interaction in blue decks that need to answer a creature or artifact without a counterspell in hand — the topdeck punishment matters more in a singleton format where replaying the same threat takes time. In Pauper, commons slots for bounce and tempo are competitive enough that Run Aground rarely makes the cut over cheaper options. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern are too fast for a four-mana instant that doesn't generate card advantage, and Pioneer is no different. Oathbreaker shares enough of Commander's dynamic that the same conditional endorsement applies: run it if your curve and budget demand it, cut it when something better is available.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Run Aground is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. That price is stable by definition; there's no demand pressure to move it in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.