Truth or Tale
Instant
Reveal the top five cards of your library and separate them into two piles. An opponent chooses one of those piles. Put a card from the chosen pile into your hand, then put all other cards revealed this way on the bottom of your library in any order.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Time Spiral
- Price
- $0.24
- EDHREC rank
- #15494
Truth or Tale is a two-mana instant that lets opponents sort five cards into two piles — you pick which pile goes to your hand, and the rest go to the bottom of your library. That opponent-choice clause makes it unreliable in almost every context except The Celestial Toymaker, where the forced group-participation mechanic is the point.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Celestial Toymaker
The Celestial Toymaker's game is built on forcing opponents into lose-lose choices, and Truth or Tale is a perfect fit — the same opponent-controlled sorting that would be a liability elsewhere becomes a political weapon that advances the Toymaker's chaotic, group-decision engine.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Truth or Tale is a niche card with a narrow home — outside The Celestial Toymaker shells, the opponent-sorted pile mechanic gives too much control to your enemies for two mana. In Legacy and Vintage, the formats where it's legal, it has never seen meaningful play; cantrips like Brainstorm and Ponder do the filtering job without handing opponents any agency. Truth or Tale is legal in Oathbreaker as well, but the same logic applies — unless your commander specifically rewards giving opponents choices, there are cleaner ways to dig.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.24 bulk tier
At $0.24, Truth or Tale is deep bulk — you'll find it in any bargain bin. Demand is almost entirely driven by The Celestial Toymaker players, so the price is unlikely to move unless that commander spikes in popularity.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.