Student of Ojutai
Creature — Human Monk
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, you gain 2 life.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Iconic Masters
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #17018
Student of Ojutai gains you 2 life every time you cast a noncreature spell — a passive, cumulative cushion that rewards spell-heavy strategies without asking anything extra of you. The cost is a three-mana 2/4 body that does nothing aggressive, so you're running it for the trigger, not the stats; Mazzy, Truesword Paladin and The Archimandrite both have the density of noncreature spells to make that trigger fire multiple times per turn.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Archimandrite
The Archimandrite turns Student of Ojutai into a reliable lifegain engine — every instant, sorcery, and enchantment you cast to stock your graveyard or set up your board triggers the life payment, and The Archimandrite rewards high spell volume anyway, so Student of Ojutai slots into the natural game plan without asking for a dedicated slot.
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 |
Student of Ojutai is a Commander card first and foremost — the format's longer games and spell-heavy support commanders give the lifegain trigger the time it needs to accumulate into a meaningful cushion. In Pauper it's legal and the body is serviceable, but dedicated lifegain packages have more efficient options at common. Modern and Pioneer have long since outpaced a three-mana 2/4 with a passive trigger, and Legacy and Vintage won't touch it. Stick to Commander, where the right deck casts enough noncreature spells to make Student of Ojutai quietly annoying to race.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Mazzy, Truesword PaladinUnbridled GrowthDefiler of VigorStudent of Ojutai
Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers; Near-infinite +1/+1 counters; Near-infinite lifegain triggers; Near-infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Student of Ojutai is deep bulk — pick it up without a second thought. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price point rarely spike unless a commander breaks them wide open, so expect it to stay in the dime-box tier indefinitely.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Mazzy, Truesword Paladin
- The Archimandrite
- Unbridled Growth
- Defiler of Vigor
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.