Steady Progress
Instant
Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.41
- EDHREC rank
- #4815
Steady Progress puts a proliferate trigger on the stack and replaces itself for three mana — everything a counter-based or planeswalker deck wants stapled onto a cantrip. In Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus builds specifically, that three-mana instant becomes a two-for-one proliferate the moment Tekuthal is in play.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus doubles every proliferate trigger, so Steady Progress becomes two proliferates and a card draw for three mana — one of the most efficient single spells in the deck. It's in 71% of Tekuthal lists for good reason.
Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres draws a card whenever you proliferate, which means Steady Progress cantrips twice in this shell — the original draw plus Ezuri's trigger. That kind of mana-to-cards efficiency is exactly why it shows up in 35% of Ezuri decks.
Jin-Gitaxias
Jin-Gitaxias cares about proliferating oil counters and advancing the praetors' game plan, and Steady Progress slots in as a cheap, instant-speed way to push those counters forward while staying card-neutral. It appears in 34% of Jin-Gitaxias lists because the deck simply needs volume on proliferate sources.
Toxrill, the Corrosive
Toxrill, the Corrosive loads slime counters onto opposing creatures at end of turn, and Steady Progress accelerates that clock by adding an extra proliferate step on any turn you need it. At 25% inclusion across nearly 8,300 decks, it's a straightforward pickup for any slug-counter build.
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Mizzix of the Izmagnus accumulates experience counters to reduce spell costs, and Steady Progress proliferates those counters while cantripping — every copy you cast makes the next instant or sorcery cheaper. That self-reinforcing loop explains its presence in 22% of Mizzix lists.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Steady Progress earns its keep: proliferate is almost always relevant, the instant speed matters for end-of-turn plays, and the cantrip means it never costs you a card. In Pauper it's technically legal and occasionally surfaces in infect or -1/-1 counter shells, though the three-mana cost is a real constraint in a format that prizes efficiency. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but essentially never want it — dedicated proliferate strategies don't exist at those power levels and a three-mana cantrip is uncompetitive. Steady Progress is a Commander card through and through, and outside of that format it's a curiosity rather than a consideration.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.41 bulk tier
At $0.41, Steady Progress sits firmly in bulk territory — buy a playset without thinking about it. Bulk commons with narrow mechanical identity don't appreciate meaningfully, so treat it as a cheap functional include rather than anything to hold.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
- Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
- Jin-Gitaxias
- Toxrill, the Corrosive
- Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.