Sage of Ancient Lore // Werewolf of Ancient Hunger
Creature — Human Shaman Werewolf // Creature — Werewolf
Sage of Ancient Lore's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand.
When this creature enters, draw a card.
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform this creature.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Shadows over Innistrad Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #9906
Sage of Ancient Lore // Werewolf of Ancient Hunger lands as a body whose power and toughness scale directly with your hand size, then flips into a trample threat that can swing as a 7/7 or larger on the same turn it transforms. The five-mana entry cost is the whole argument against it — in most Commander pods, five mana for a vanilla-until-it-flips creature is a slow ask.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Tovolar, Dire Overlord
Tovolar, Dire Overlord draws cards off every Wolf and Werewolf that deals combat damage, which means Sage of Ancient Lore // Werewolf of Ancient Hunger doesn't just grow with the hand you build — it actively helps you build a bigger hand, then flips into a scaled-up trampler to close the loop.
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 |
Commander is where Sage of Ancient Lore // Werewolf of Ancient Hunger earns its slot, specifically inside Werewolf tribal builds where the Wolf synergy density makes the floor high enough to justify the five-mana investment. In competitive Modern and Pioneer the card simply doesn't show up — five mana for a conditional beater is too slow against the formats' speed, and there's no tribal infrastructure to lean on. Legacy and Vintage are legal but irrelevant; the card has no business in those environments. Stick to Commander and stay inside Werewolf shells.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Sage of Ancient Lore // Werewolf of Ancient Hunger isn't confirmed at time of writing, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the current market rate before buying. Given that it's a bulk-rare tribal piece with a narrow home, expect a low price point — the kind of card you pick up in a collection or a dollar bin without much thought.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Tovolar, Dire Overlord
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.