Stroke of Genius
Instant
Target player draws X cards.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven Commander
- Price
- $0.30
- EDHREC rank
- #3705
Stroke of Genius draws X cards at instant speed and can target any player — the second clause is what separates it from most blue draw spells, enabling mill strategies and combo finishes that symmetrical draw can't touch. Triskaidekaphile decks run it to hit exactly thirteen cards in hand on an opponent's end step; Zimone, Infinite Analyst decks run it because the variable X plugs directly into infinite-mana lines that need a payoff.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Zimone, Infinite Analyst generates arbitrarily large amounts of mana through her untap loops, and Stroke of Genius is one of the cleanest ways to convert that mana into a full grip or an outright deck-out on yourself to fuel graveyard-based wins.
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Mizzix of the Izmagnus reduces the cost of instants and sorceries based on experience counters, and Stroke of Genius scales directly with that discount — a heavily experienced Mizzix can draw ten or more cards for two or three mana, making it one of the most efficient payoffs in the deck.
Vadrik, Astral Archmage
Vadrik, Astral Archmage reduces instant and sorcery costs during your turn based on power, and Stroke of Genius turns that discount into a massive card advantage swing at exactly the moment Vadrik is online.
Will, Scion of Peace
Will, Scion of Peace reduces spell costs based on life gained, and Stroke of Genius benefits from that reduction while simultaneously refueling the hand for further life-gain triggers and combo sequencing.
Magnus the Red
Magnus the Red reduces the cost of instant and sorcery spells cast by your creatures, and in spell-slinger shells where Magnus is generating mana through storm-adjacent lines, Stroke of Genius serves as both the payoff and the engine reload.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Stroke of Genius does its best work: instant speed, variable draw, and the opponent-targeting clause all matter more in a multiplayer game where you need flexibility at every step of four players' turns. In Vintage it's legal but rarely sees play — Ancestral Recall and Windfall outclass it on raw efficiency, and the format moves too fast for an expensive X-spell. Legacy is the same story; the card is technically legal but the format's density of cheap draw makes Stroke of Genius too slow for most shells. Outside of Commander and Oathbreaker, where the singleton format and slower pace let expensive payoffs breathe, this card doesn't have a real home.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
TriskaidekaphileStroke of Genius
Win the game at the beginning of your next upkeep
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.30 bulk tier
At $0.30, Stroke of Genius is bulk — it's had multiple printings and the supply is deep enough that the price isn't going anywhere. You're getting a genuinely powerful, format-staple instant for the price of a sleeve, which makes it one of the better value pickups in Commander.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Triskaidekaphile
- Zimone, Infinite Analyst
- Mizzix of the Izmagnus
- Vadrik, Astral Archmage
- Will, Scion of Peace
- Magnus the Red
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.