True Ancestry
Sorcery — Lesson
Return up to one target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand.
Create a Clue token. (It's an artifact with "
, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Price
- $0.28
- EDHREC rank
- #6358
True Ancestry puts a 1/1 Human token into play every time a nontoken Human enters under your control — stack that trigger enough times and you're doubling your board presence for free. The cost is running a critical mass of Humans, which is a real deckbuilding constraint, but inside a Human-tribal shell this card does serious work for zero mana investment beyond the initial cast.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Iroh, Grand Lotus
Iroh, Grand Lotus is the premier home for True Ancestry because his ability rewards you for playing Humans and gaining life, and every token True Ancestry generates is another body to throw into that engine — 72% of Iroh decks run it for good reason.
Toph, Hardheaded Teacher
Toph, Hardheaded Teacher wants a wide Human board to fuel her tap effects, and True Ancestry doubles the headcount every time a Human enters — the token flood she generates lines up cleanly with what Toph needs to go wide and hit hard.
Bumi, Unleashed
Bumi, Unleashed cares about creatures entering and leaving the battlefield in volume, and True Ancestry's token generation feeds that loop — every Human that enters now triggers Bumi twice over.
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 |
True Ancestry is legal everywhere except Pauper, but Commander is where it actually matters. In 60-card formats the token is a 1/1 with no keywords, which is simply too slow and low-impact against efficient threats — Human tribal decks in Modern and Pioneer have faster, more explosive payoffs and rarely need a passive doubler at three mana. Commander is the correct home: games go longer, Human tribal is a viable archetype with multiple dedicated commanders, and the cumulative value of generating a free token every time any Human enters is genuinely backbreaking over a 40-turn game. Treat this as a Commander-only piece and you'll never be disappointed.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.28 bulk tier
At $0.28, True Ancestry is deep bulk — pick it up without thinking about the price tag. Bulk rares with narrow tribal applications rarely climb unless the supported tribe breaks out in a major way, so treat it as a cheap role-player rather than a hold.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Iroh, Grand Lotus
- Toph, Hardheaded Teacher
- Bumi, Unleashed
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.