Talisman of Impulse
Artifact
: Add 
.: Add 
or 
. This artifact deals 1 damage to you.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GR
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Bloomburrow Commander
- Price
- $0.38
- EDHREC rank
- #571
Talisman of Impulse enters on turn two, taps for red or green immediately, and costs one life only when you cash in the mana — a negligible price for a rock that never enters tapped. In Gruul decks that want to hit three or four mana ahead of schedule, it's a staple, and commanders like Ulalek, Fused Atrocity that need to cast expensive spells as early as possible treat it as a non-negotiable include.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity demands a critical mass of mana acceleration to copy spells at scale, and Talisman of Impulse is one of the most efficient two-mana rocks that produces either color of the Gruul half of Ulalek's identity.
Disa the Restless
Disa the Restless wants to hit three mana on curve to start recurring Lhurgoyfs, and Talisman of Impulse is a clean turn-two setup that keeps her on schedule without eating a land drop.
Etali, Primal Conqueror
Etali, Primal Conqueror costs nine mana, so every piece of early acceleration compresses the turns before it attacks — Talisman of Impulse pulls forward the window by a full turn in the right opener.
Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers
Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers want to be dealing combat damage as fast as possible, and Talisman of Impulse provides the turn-two ramp that lets them land a threat or enhance their attackers a full turn early.
Bello, Bard of the Brambles
Bello, Bard of the Brambles cares about noncreature spells hitting the stack, and Talisman of Impulse contributes both as a mana accelerant and as one of the early artifacts that smooth Bello's curve into bigger enchantments and sorceries.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Talisman of Impulse earns its keep — Gruul is one of the most popular color pairs in the format, and a two-mana rock that produces colored mana without entering tapped is exactly what the format rewards. In Legacy and Vintage, it's legal but largely irrelevant; those formats have access to faster and more powerful mana artifacts, and the one-life rider on Talisman of Impulse isn't the barrier so much as the raw speed ceiling is. Modern players would theoretically run it in Gruul shells, but the format's aggression means two-mana rocks that don't immediately affect the board rarely make the cut. Talisman of Impulse is a Commander card through and through — the long game amortizes the life payment, and Gruul's creature-heavy plans need the color fixing as much as the acceleration.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.38 bulk tier
At $0.38, Talisman of Impulse sits in bulk territory — it's been reprinted enough times to keep the price floor low despite consistent demand across Gruul Commander builds. It's a safe pick-up at this price; wide reprinting means it won't spike, but it also means you can sleeve it without hesitation.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.