Tangle Kelp
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When this Aura enters, tap enchanted creature.
Enchanted creature doesn't untap during its controller's untap step if it attacked during its controller's last turn.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The Dark
- Price
- $0.91
- EDHREC rank
- #30329
Tangle Kelp permanently taps a creature and keeps it tapped — not until end of turn, not until your next upkeep, but for as long as the enchantment sticks. The cost is real: it only works on creatures that just attacked, so you're reacting to a swing rather than locking down a threat proactively.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Tangle Kelp occupies a narrow lane — it's a permanent tap effect, which has genuine value against commanders with activated abilities or decks that rely on one threatening creature, but the attack trigger requirement means it whiffs against creatures that never swing. Legacy and Vintage are legal formats, but neither has ever wanted this effect at this speed when Propaganda, Ghostly Prison, and hard removal exist. Tangle Kelp is essentially a Commander-only consideration, and even there it competes poorly against Encrust or Narcolepsy, which don't require the creature to have attacked first.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.91 bulk tier
At $0.91, Tangle Kelp sits at the high end of bulk — you're paying a small premium for a card with a narrow use case and no competitive demand. The price is unlikely to climb; there's no format breakout scenario that rescues it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.