Swell of Growth
Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. You may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Battle for Zendikar
- Price
- $0.10
- EDHREC rank
- #12702
Swell of Growth puts a land directly onto the battlefield — not your hand — and that tempo swing on a two-mana instant is the whole reason it exists. Outside of Sergeant John Benton and a handful of landfall-centric builds, cheaper and more flexible ramp spells outclass it.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Sergeant John Benton
Sergeant John Benton triggers off instants and sorceries, so Swell of Growth pulls double duty: it advances your mana development while simultaneously fueling Benton's ability during combat or in response to removal, making it one of the more efficient roleplayers in the 99.
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 |
In Commander, Swell of Growth is a niche inclusion — landfall decks and Sergeant John Benton lists are the natural homes, and outside those contexts it loses the slot to Cultivate or Kodama's Reach on raw card advantage. In Pauper, where the card pool tightens considerably, the instant speed on Swell of Growth becomes more meaningful in landfall or tempo shells that can't access better ramp. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern are non-starters — the format speed makes a two-mana ramp spell that doesn't replace itself nearly unplayable. Pioneer is the same story: the card sees no competitive presence there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.10 bulk tier
At $0.10, Swell of Growth sits firmly in bulk territory and will stay there — demand is narrow enough that no reprint pressure or spike is coming. Grab a copy for landfall Commander builds without a second thought; the price will never be the reason not to run it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.