Snapcaster Mage
Creature — Human Wizard
Flash
When this creature enters, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost. (You may cast that card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Pro Tour Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #1457
Snapcaster Mage turns any instant or sorcery in your graveyard into a two-for-one on a 2/1 body — the effect is immediate, the cost is two mana, and the rate is good enough to earn slots in every format it's legal in. Azami, Lady of Scrolls decks run it as a Wizard that also doubles as a spell-replay engine, which is a combination almost nothing else matches at this price point.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Azami, Lady of Scrolls taps Wizards to draw cards, and Snapcaster Mage is a Wizard that rebought the counterspell or tutor you just cast — it draws a card the turn it enters and replays the spell you needed most.
Neerdiv, Devious Diver
Neerdiv, Devious Diver rewards packing the graveyard with spells, and Snapcaster Mage is exactly the kind of cheap, reusable spell-recursion piece that keeps the engine running without burning additional resources.
Katara, Waterbending Master
Katara, Waterbending Master cares about spells cast from unusual zones, and Snapcaster Mage granting flashback means the same removal or interaction spell fires twice — directly feeding whatever Katara triggers on recast.
Fire Lord Azula
Fire Lord Azula builds around instants and sorceries, and Snapcaster Mage is the most efficient way in blue to replay the removal or burn spell that already cleared a blocker, making every key spell in the list pull double duty.
Katilda and Lier
Katilda and Lier already grants flashback to spells in the graveyard, and Snapcaster Mage stacks on top of that — the combination means your best instants and sorceries can be cast two additional times for the cost of a single two-drop.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Snapcaster Mage is a format-warping card in every 60-card format it touches. In Legacy and Vintage, it's a staple in nearly every blue control or tempo shell — two mana for a cantripping threat that rebinds the most powerful spells ever printed is absurd value. Modern has run Snapcaster Mage as a four-of in Jeskai Control and various Delver builds since the format existed; its absence would reshape the archetype. In Commander, the calculus shifts slightly — you only have one copy, and the singleton environment means you're replaying situational interaction rather than threats, which is still excellent but makes it a role-player rather than a format pillar. It's legal in Oathbreaker and thrives there for the same reasons as Commander, just with a narrower spell suite.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Snapcaster Mage isn't available in the current data set, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the live number. Historically it has commanded a significant premium as a Modern and Legacy staple, so expect to pay accordingly — it is not a budget inclusion.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Azami, Lady of Scrolls
- Neerdiv, Devious Diver
- Katara, Waterbending Master
- Fire Lord Azula
- Katilda and Lier
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.