Unstable Mutation
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +3/+3.
At the beginning of the upkeep of enchanted creature's controller, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Ultimate Masters
- Price
- $0.12
- EDHREC rank
- #24634
Unstable Mutation lands as a +3/+3 aura on the first turn and then eats its own host alive — one -1/-1 counter per upkeep means a three-power creature is dead in three turns. It's an aggressive one-mana pump with a built-in expiration date, best used on creatures that win the game before the bill comes due.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Legacy and Vintage, Unstable Mutation earns its slot in tempo shells that want to close fast — slap it on a evasive one-drop, attack for a combined four or five, and win before the counters matter. Pauper is its most natural home: the format's blue aggressive decks can use it to push through lethal damage in the first two or three turns, where the downside is essentially irrelevant. Commander is the hardest sell — games go long, politics slow combat down, and a creature that deteriorates every upkeep rarely survives long enough to matter in a 40-life format. Modern has the tools to do this better without the drawback, so Unstable Mutation doesn't see serious play there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.12 bulk tier
At $0.12, Unstable Mutation is pure bulk — pick up a playset for pocket change and don't think twice about it. Demand is narrow enough that the price will stay in the floor tier indefinitely.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.