Syncopate
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 
. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Return to Ravnica
- Price
- $0.09
- EDHREC rank
- #4068
Syncopate counters a spell and exiles it — no graveyard recursion, no flashback, no undying triggers — and the exile clause is what makes it worth the slot over cheaper alternatives. The cost is real: at XUU it asks for mana commitment, and at small X values it blanks against cheap interaction, so Zimone, Infinite Analyst and other decks that routinely generate large mana pools are where it earns its keep.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Zimone, Infinite Analyst generates enormous blue mana through her untap loops, turning Syncopate's variable cost into a hard counter for any spell on the stack — and the exile clause stops recursion engines that would otherwise laugh off a simple Counterspell.
Zaxara, the Exemplary
Zaxara, the Exemplary treats every X spell as a Hydra token generator, so Syncopate doubles as interaction and a body — a counterspell that leaves behind a creature is exactly the kind of efficiency Zaxara decks want.
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Experience counters on Mizzix of the Izmagnus reduce Syncopate's mana cost, and once Mizzix is active, a reduced XUU counter often costs less than a Counterspell while still exiling the target.
The Emperor of Palamecia
The Emperor of Palamecia rewards stacking instants and sorceries with X in their cost, making Syncopate a clean include that serves double duty as both a payoff for the deck's core strategy and reliable stack interaction.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Syncopate competes in a crowded field of blue counterspells, and the exile clause is what separates it from the pack — stopping graveyard loops, undying creatures, and flashback spells is genuinely relevant in a format full of Eternal Witness effects. In competitive Commander it still trails Fierce Guardianship and Force of Will because the mana investment is too steep at high-speed tables, but in powered-down pods it's a reasonable inclusion in any blue deck that can float mana. In Modern and Pioneer, Syncopate sees fringe control play as a tempo counter that exiles rather than drops to the yard, though Counterspell's reprint made it harder to justify. In Legacy and Vintage, the format's velocity makes variable-cost counters too unreliable against free spells and pitch interaction. Pauper is probably Syncopate's best constructed home outside Commander — the exile clause hits harder at parity where graveyard recursion is common and free counterspells don't exist.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.09 bulk tier
At $0.09, Syncopate is pure bulk — easy to acquire in quantity and a zero-budget inclusion for any blue Commander deck that wants exile-tagged interaction. Bulk counterspells don't spike, so the price is stable and you're buying it for the effect, not the card.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Zimone, Infinite Analyst
- Zaxara, the Exemplary
- Mizzix of the Izmagnus
- The Emperor of Palamecia
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.