Sinister Monolith
Artifact
At the beginning of combat on your turn, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
, Pay 2 life, Sacrifice this artifact: Draw two cards. Activate only as a sorcery.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Bloomburrow
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #6143
Sinister Monolith enters tapped and costs six mana, but it taps for three colorless and untaps whenever you cast a spell from somewhere other than your hand — in the right shell, that's effectively free mana after the first activation. Zoraline, Cosmos Caller turns that untap trigger into a repeating engine, making Sinister Monolith one of the most efficient rocks in that deck.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zoraline, Cosmos Caller
Zoraline, Cosmos Caller casts spells from exile constantly, so Sinister Monolith untaps on nearly every turn cycle — three mana that pays for itself before the game ends.
Gev, Scaled Scorch
Gev, Scaled Scorch runs a lot of spells cast from graveyards and impulse-draw effects, and Sinister Monolith's untap trigger fires off each one, snowballing mana faster than a static rock ever could.
Belbe, Corrupted Observer
Belbe, Corrupted Observer generates mana in bursts tied to dealing damage, and Sinister Monolith pairs with that burst economy — cast a spell from anywhere but hand, untap, spend the three mana before the window closes.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Sinister Monolith is legal across every major constructed format, but it sees essentially zero play outside Commander — six mana for an artifact that enters tapped is disqualifying in Legacy, Vintage, and Modern, where the game is often decided before turn four. In Commander it earns its slot specifically in decks that cast spells from exile, graveyards, or the top of the library, because the untap clause transforms Sinister Monolith from a slow rock into a mana engine. In more conventional Commander builds without those triggers, there are cheaper options that come down earlier and don't cost six to deploy.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Sinister Monolith is bulk — easy to pick up in trade binders or as a throw-in. Given that it's a build-around piece tied closely to a specific mechanic rather than a universal staple, the price is unlikely to move unless a breakout commander pushes demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Zoraline, Cosmos Caller
- Gev, Scaled Scorch
- Belbe, Corrupted Observer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.