Shape the Sands
Instant
Target creature gets +0/+5 and gains reach until end of turn. (It can block creatures with flying.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #20288
Shape the Sands gives a creature +0/+5 and reach until end of turn for a single green mana — cheap enough to hold up without telegraphing much. It's a narrow trick: useful in dedicated Wall and defender strategies, dead weight in most others.
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 |
Shape the Sands is a bulk rare in every format it's legal in, and Commander is the one context where it finds a real home — specifically inside Arcades, the Strategist or Doran, the Siege Tower shells where toughness is currency. In Pauper it's legal but strictly outclassed by Giant Growth variants that boost both stats. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer, it's too situational to see play; one-mana tricks need to either trade favorably with removal or generate card advantage, and Shape the Sands does neither outside a dedicated toughness-matters synergy.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Shape the Sands sits firmly in bulk territory and will stay there — demand is too narrow to move the price. Grab a copy for pennies if you're building Arcades; otherwise it's not worth tracking.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.