Tamiyo's Safekeeping
Instant
Target permanent you control gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. You gain 2 life. (A permanent with hexproof and indestructible can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty
- Price
- $4.31
- EDHREC rank
- #495
Tamiyo's Safekeeping gives a permanent hexproof and indestructible until end of turn for a single green mana, then replaces itself with a card draw — that's three effects stapled to one mana, and it's not close. The Howling Abomination and commanders like it that live and die by keeping one creature on the battlefield make this an auto-include.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Howling Abomination
The Howling Abomination demands a specific creature stay alive through combat to keep its engine churning, and Tamiyo's Safekeeping answers every targeted removal spell and board wipe at instant speed for a single mana while replacing itself.
Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief
Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief copies every single-target spell cast at opponents' creatures, so Tamiyo's Safekeeping cast on any creature in the deck effectively doubles up as a second hexproof-and-draw effect aimed at Ivy herself — two protective triggers for one mana.
Anzrag, the Quake-Mole
Anzrag, the Quake-Mole needs to survive long enough to force blocks and untap the team, and Tamiyo's Safekeeping is the cheapest way to push it through a removal spell at the critical moment while drawing a card to keep the hand full.
Sergeant John Benton
Sergeant John Benton's copy-on-damage ability is worthless if he dies before connecting, so Tamiyo's Safekeeping slots in as cheap, cantripping insurance against the targeted removal that opponents will throw at him before combat.
Legolas, Master Archer
Legolas, Master Archer pins down blockers through his tapping ability, and Tamiyo's Safekeeping protects him from the instant-speed removal that opponents reach for the moment he becomes a problem — all while drawing a card to maintain tempo.
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, Tamiyo's Safekeeping earns its slot on rate alone — one mana for hexproof, indestructible, and a card draw is the kind of efficiency that commander-dependent decks have been chasing for years. In competitive Modern and Pioneer, it fills a similar role to Blossoming Defense but with the upside of card draw, making it worth considering in creature combo shells where protecting a key piece is critical. Pauper players get access to a common-legal protection spell that actually replaces itself, which is notable given how thin the card-advantage options are at that rarity. Legacy and Vintage have enough redundancy that Tamiyo's Safekeeping rarely makes the cut, but the card is legal and not embarrassing in creature-based shells there either.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$4.31 cheap tier
At $4.31, Tamiyo's Safekeeping sits in the cheap tier but toward the high end of it, reflecting genuine demand from multiple formats and commander archetypes rather than hype. It holds value well — protection spells that cantrip have a strong floor, and this one sees enough play across Commander, Modern, and Pauper to keep it from sliding.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.