Tishana's Tidebinder
Creature — Merfolk Wizard
Flash
When this creature enters, counter up to one target activated or triggered ability. If an ability of an artifact, creature, or planeswalker is countered this way, that permanent loses all abilities for as long as this creature remains on the battlefield. (Mana abilities can't be targeted.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Promos
- Price
- $4.53
- EDHREC rank
- #2617
Tishana's Tidebinder enters and freezes a triggered ability mid-stack, stranding it permanently as long as the Tidebinder lives — that's a removal spell and a stax piece stapled to a 3/2 body for three mana. In Merfolk builds led by Hakbal of the Surging Soul, it's essentially a counterspell that also contributes to your tribe count.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Hakbal of the Surging Soul runs Tishana's Tidebinder as both tribal filler and a silver bullet — it blanks opposing triggered abilities while padding your Merfolk count for Hakbal's explore triggers.
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca wants every Merfolk it can get, and Tishana's Tidebinder earns its slot by pulling double duty as disruption that keeps opponents from recovering while Kumena's tap abilities build board advantage.
Azami, Lady of Scrolls
Azami, Lady of Scrolls draws a card off any Wizard, and Tishana's Tidebinder qualifies — the Tidebinder gives Azami an interactive piece that can shut off a combo opponent's triggered win condition while fueling Azami's own engine.
Ephara, God of the Polis
Ephara, God of the Polis rewards flashing in creatures at the end of opponents' turns with a draw trigger, and Tishana's Tidebinder has flash — it punishes a triggered ability at instant speed and turns Ephara's upkeep draw on.
Talion, the Kindly Lord
Talion, the Kindly Lord taxes opponents on a chosen number, and Tishana's Tidebinder's three-mana cost slots cleanly into Dimir creature curves while its ability to permanently neutralize a triggered ability shores up the disruption that Talion decks rely on.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Tishana's Tidebinder is most valuable as a hate piece that scales with the table — permanently exiling a triggered ability from a Food Chain, Prossh, or Bolas's Citadel player is backbreaking, and the Merfolk type makes it free value in tribal builds. In Modern and Pioneer, the competition is stiffer: three mana for a 3/2 with a narrow conditional effect rarely makes non-tribal lists when cheaper interaction exists, though Merfolk sideboards can justify it as a silver bullet against specific combo triggers. Legacy is a similar story — the raw power ceiling is too low to displace established interaction outside dedicated Fish shells. Standard is where Tishana's Tidebinder punches most cleanly outside Commander, since the card pool is shallow enough that a flash 3/2 that freezes a triggered ability trades up against a meaningful portion of the format's threats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$4.53 cheap tier
At $4.53, Tishana's Tidebinder sits at the high end of the cheap tier — reasonable for a card with niche but real application in multiple formats. The price is supported by its Merfolk tribal demand across Commander, Modern, and Pioneer, so it's unlikely to crater as long as Fish strategies remain playable.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Hakbal of the Surging Soul
- Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
- Azami, Lady of Scrolls
- Ephara, God of the Polis
- Talion, the Kindly Lord
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.