Trouble in Pairs
Enchantment
If an opponent would begin an extra turn, that player skips that turn instead.
Whenever an opponent attacks you with two or more creatures, draws their second card each turn, or casts their second spell each turn, you draw a card.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Murders at Karlov Manor Commander
- Price
- $30.14
- EDHREC rank
- #629
Trouble in Pairs locks each opponent into attacking only once per combat, which in multiplayer Commander effectively neuters go-wide combat decks while you build your own board. It's the centerpiece of Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser lists for a reason — that static ability does real work for four mana.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser's triggered ability cares about opponents attacking you, and Trouble in Pairs funnels opponents into exactly one attack per combat — letting you control which triggers fire while limiting the damage you take.
Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage
Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage wants opponents swinging at each other, and Trouble in Pairs restricts each attacker to a single target per combat, which keeps the goad-fueled chaos predictable enough that Baeloth's controller stays ahead.
The Council of Four
The Council of Four rewards players for drawing cards on opponents' turns, and Trouble in Pairs slows down combat enough that the enchantment's political layer keeps the table grinding through draw triggers rather than ending the game in a single alpha strike.
Daxos the Returned
Daxos the Returned builds an enchantment-based token engine, and Trouble in Pairs is an enchantment that pulls double duty — adding an experience counter while throttling the attacks that would otherwise end Daxos before the token army closes the game.
Zur, Eternal Schemer
Zur, Eternal Schemer can attach enchantments directly to creatures, and Trouble in Pairs fills the deck's enchantment density while keeping the table's combat math manageable enough that Zur's deathtouch-granting creatures survive long enough to matter.
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 |
Trouble in Pairs is a Commander card through and through — the symmetrical combat restriction is nearly irrelevant in a duel but becomes a meaningful political tool once three or four players are involved, each with their own combat step to constrain. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but sees no competitive play; four mana for a static effect that doesn't interact with the stack or advance a combo isn't what those formats want. Oathbreaker shares enough of Commander's multiplayer politics that Trouble in Pairs can pull weight there too, particularly in decks that want to slow the board while assembling a win condition.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Revenge of Ravens does some of the same work — it taxes attackers rather than restricting them, which hits harder against go-wide decks but doesn't cap the number of attackers the way Trouble in Pairs does. No Mercy is another deterrent in the same price range that punishes attackers after the fact rather than preventing excess attacks, which means it relies on surviving the swing rather than limiting it upfront.
Price Context
Current price
$30.14 premium tier
At $30.14, Trouble in Pairs sits firmly in premium enchantment territory — comparable in price to format staples with much broader application. It holds that price almost entirely on Nelly Borca demand; if that commander falls out of favor, so does the floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser
- Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage
- The Council of Four
- Daxos the Returned
- Zur, Eternal Schemer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.