Topography Tracker
Creature — Merfolk Scout
When this creature enters, create a Map token. (It's an artifact with "
, 
, Sacrifice this token: Target creature you control explores. Activate only as a sorcery.")
If a creature you control would explore, instead it explores, then it explores again.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander
- Price
- $0.39
- EDHREC rank
- #5975
Topography Tracker enters the battlefield and immediately starts converting each land drop into a 1/1 Scout token — every explore trigger from Hakbal of the Surging Soul that puts a land into play becomes a free body. The cost is that it does nothing the turn it arrives and needs a land-heavy engine to stay relevant; in the wrong shell it's a 2/3 that draws blank stares.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Hakbal of the Surging Soul triggers explore on every attacking Merfolk, and every land an explore effect puts onto the battlefield is a free 1/1 from Topography Tracker — the two cards form a self-reinforcing loop that widens the board while digging deeper into the deck.
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 |
Topography Tracker is a Commander card through and through — the explore and landfall synergies it thrives on are built for 100-card singleton games where you have time to set up and opponents to threaten. In Legacy and Vintage, where it's technically legal, it's far too slow and narrow to see any meaningful play. Commander is the only format worth discussing, and even there it earns a slot almost exclusively in dedicated land-synergy decks like Hakbal of the Surging Soul or similar Simic explore piles.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.39 bulk tier
At $0.39, Topography Tracker sits firmly in bulk territory, and that price is unlikely to move given how narrowly it slots into Hakbal of the Surging Soul builds. Pick it up freely — there's no reason to hesitate at this price point.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.