Submerge
Instant
If an opponent controls a Forest and you control an Island, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost.
Put target creature on top of its owner's library.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- World Championship Decks 2000
- Price
- $4.48
- EDHREC rank
- #4312
Submerge puts a creature on top of its owner's library for free — no mana, no targeting restriction beyond "opponent controls a Forest" — which in green-heavy metas is effectively unconditional. Krark, the Thumbless // Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and Orvar, the All-Form both run it because free spells that actually do something are the hardest resource to price correctly, and Submerge is simply the best free bounce spell blue has access to.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Krark, the Thumbless // Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
Krark, the Thumbless // Sakashima of a Thousand Faces flips instants for value, and Submerge being free means it generates that flip without costing a single mana — if Krark returns it to hand, you've spent nothing and lost nothing, and if it resolves you've set an opponent back a draw step.
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow needs ninjas connecting repeatedly, and Submerge bounces a blocker at zero cost to clear the path — the fact that it's an instant matters as much as the price tag, since it leaves up interaction mana you were already holding.
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces // Vial Smasher the Fierce
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces // Vial Smasher the Fierce is a spell-slinging value engine that benefits from free cantrip-adjacent plays, and Submerge fills the role of cheap disruption that doesn't compete for mana on the turns you're copying spells or triggering Vial Smasher.
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, Submerge is a role-player rather than a staple — it earns its slot in decks that want free spells or punish green mana bases, which describes a wide swath of the format given how dominant ramp-heavy green strategies are at most tables. In Legacy, Submerge has a long history as a sideboard answer to Nimble Mongoose and Tarmogoyf in Delver mirrors, where both players are almost certain to control a Forest and the free tempo swing can decide a game. Vintage sees fringe use for the same reason free effects are always worth evaluating, though the format's density of broken plays makes "puts a creature on top of library" a lower-impact threat. It's not legal in Modern, Pioneer, or Standard, and Pauper can't touch it either, so outside of Legacy the card lives almost entirely in Commander and Oathbreaker.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Orvar, the All-FormVenser, Shaper SavantSubmerge
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite magecraft triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$4.48 cheap tier
At $4.48, Submerge sits in the cheap tier for a card with genuine Legacy sideboard history and Commander niche appeal — that price reflects limited reprint supply more than demand pressure. It's a reasonable pickup for the right decks, and nothing about the card's narrow legality suggests a reprint that would crater the price anytime soon.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Orvar, the All-Form
- Krark, the Thumbless // Sakashima of a Thousand Faces
- Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
- Sakashima of a Thousand Faces // Vial Smasher the Fierce
- Venser, Shaper Savant
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.