Stunted Growth
Sorcery
Target player chooses three cards from their hand and puts them on top of their library in any order.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Masters Edition II
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #29667
Stunted Growth forces one opponent to put three cards from their hand back on top of their library — effectively locking them out of draws for three turns while simultaneously burying whatever they were holding. Three mana for that kind of tempo swing is legitimate, but the effect is single-target and does nothing to the board, so it lives or dies by whether tempo matters in your meta.
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 |
In Commander, Stunted Growth occupies a niche in stax and tempo strategies that want to kneecap one player per turn cycle — most relevant in archenemy situations where you need to slow down the table leader without spending removal. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but rarely want it; those formats close games too fast for a three-mana sorcery that doesn't affect the board or generate card advantage. Stunted Growth is legal in Oathbreaker as well, where the tighter two-player focus makes single-target hand disruption more punishing.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Stunted Growth isn't currently available, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for live listings. It's an older card with low reprint equity, so supply is thin and prices can vary significantly between printings.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.