The Phasing of Zhalfir
Enchantment — Saga
Read ahead (Choose a chapter and start with that many lore counters. Add one after your draw step. Skipped chapters don't trigger. Sacrifice after III.)
I, II — Another target nonland permanent phases out. It can't phase in for as long as you control this Saga.
III — Destroy all creatures. For each creature destroyed this way, its controller creates a 2/2 black Phyrexian creature token.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Dominaria United
- Price
- $0.30
- EDHREC rank
- #10259
The Phasing of Zhalfir phases out every creature your opponents control until your next turn and locks them out of casting creatures for the rest of the game — all for five mana. It's a one-sided board freeze stapled to a permanent soft lock, and Tom Bombadil can trigger it straight from the command zone as a saga.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Tom Bombadil
Tom Bombadil reads the final chapter of The Phasing of Zhalfir the moment it enters, triggering the lock immediately while also drawing a card off the lore counter — that's the full combo in one card, no setup required.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
The Phasing of Zhalfir is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker. Commander is where it actually sees play — the saga's creature-casting lock is devastating in a format where most threats are creatures, and the phasing clause buys enough time to win on the cracked-open turn. In faster non-rotating formats like Modern and Legacy, five mana for a delayed lock is too slow against combo and countermagic-heavy decks, so it rarely shows up outside casual tables. Oathbreaker can leverage it similarly to Commander if the gameplan involves stalling creature-heavy boards.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.30 bulk tier
At $0.30, The Phasing of Zhalfir is firmly bulk despite being a genuine game-ender in the right shell. That price reflects low casual demand outside Tom Bombadil lists — pick up copies freely; there's no meaningful financial risk at this tier.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Tom Bombadil
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.