Sundering Archaic
Creature — Avatar
Converge — When this creature enters, exile target nonland permanent an opponent controls with mana value less than or equal to the number of colors of mana spent to cast this creature.
: Put target card from a graveyard on the bottom of its owner's library.
- CMC
- 6
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #26571
Sundering Archaic copies every noncreature spell your opponents cast and staples a tax onto each one — that's a repeatable, passive advantage engine sitting in the command zone or on the battlefield, not a one-shot effect. The cost is four mana and a creature slot, which is the right price for something that punishes the entire table every turn.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Sundering Archaic earns its keep — three opponents casting noncreature spells every turn cycle means you're copying removal, ramp, and draw on a near-constant basis while taxing each caster two life or two mana. In 1v1 formats like Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer, the effect is real but narrower: one opponent means fewer triggers, and competitive decks can outpace the life drain or pay the mana cost without much disruption. Standard gives it a home in midrange shells that want a grindy enchantment to close out slow games. Across every format, Sundering Archaic rewards patience — the longer the game, the more it scales.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Sundering Archaic is deep bulk — you're essentially getting it for free in a lot of trades. Given how few cards offer this kind of passive copy-and-drain at any price, it's likely to creep upward once players discover it in Commander; pick up copies now while the price hasn't caught up to the effect.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.