Is Tradewind Rider good in Commander?

Tradewind Rider in Commander — Combos, Decks & Price

Tradewind Rider is a repeatable bounce engine that can lock opponents out of permanents entirely — the cost is tapping itself plus two other creatures, which means it only functions inside a deck built to abuse untap effects or token swarms. If you can meet that condition consistently, it's one of the most oppressive control pieces in blue; if you can't, it's a 1/4 flyer that does nothing.

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

Tradewind Rider is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, and that's where the conversation starts and ends — it's not legal in Modern, Pioneer, Standard, or Pauper. In Commander it sees the most play, slotting into blue-heavy control and stax lists that can feed it untap fodder or tokens to tap as fodder. Legacy and Vintage have access to it, but the formats move fast enough that a four-mana 1/4 requiring additional creature taps is far too slow relative to what those formats offer. Oathbreaker is its second-best home, where a blue Planeswalker at the helm can generate the board presence needed to make the bounce repeatable.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

88 decks

The One RingTradewind Rider

Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you; You have protection from everything; Lock

View combo details →

14 decks

Tradewind RiderIntruder Alarm Peregrine Drake

Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite storm count; Infinite mana lands you control can produce; Infinite untap of creatures you control; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of lands you control

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

10 decks

Tradewind RiderIntruder Alarm Cloud of Faeries

Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite storm count; Infinite mana lands you control can produce; Infinite untap of creatures you control; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of lands you control

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

7 decks

Tradewind RiderIntruder Alarm Palinchron

Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite storm count; Infinite mana lands you control can produce; Infinite untap of creatures you control; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of lands you control

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

4 decks

Sneak Attack Intruder AlarmTradewind Rider

Infinite blinking; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite untap of creatures you control

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

Price Context

Current price

unknown tier

Pricing data isn't available in the system right now, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for a current number on Tradewind Rider. Historically it's been an inexpensive pickup given its age and niche demand, but condition and printing can vary, so verify before you buy.