Wan Shi Tong, Librarian
Legendary Creature — Bird Spirit
Flash
Flying, vigilance
When Wan Shi Tong enters, put X +1/+1 counters on him. Then draw half X cards, rounded down.
Whenever an opponent searches their library, put a +1/+1 counter on Wan Shi Tong and draw a card.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Price
- $61.22
- EDHREC rank
- #1686
Wan Shi Tong, Librarian turns every land drop into a card advantage engine — the longer it sits on board, the further ahead you pull. The cost is real: five mana for a creature that needs a turn to attack or activate means it's slow, but in the Simic value shells helmed by Thrasios, Triton Hero // Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful, that tempo loss is worth the sustained draw.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Thrasios, Triton Hero // Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful
Thrasios, Triton Hero // Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful is already built around converting mana into cards, and Wan Shi Tong, Librarian stacks directly on top of that engine — every land Thrasios reveals or fetches feeds the Librarian's accumulating knowledge counters for even more draw.
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy decks flood the board with mana from nonland sources and need payoffs that convert that surplus into cards; Wan Shi Tong, Librarian provides exactly that, rewarding the high land count these decks run to keep Kinnan's ability active.
Katara, Waterbending Master
Katara, Waterbending Master leans into the water-tribe theme and values creatures that generate incremental advantage through play patterns; Wan Shi Tong, Librarian fits the flavor and the function, drawing cards off the land-heavy curve these decks naturally run.
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero
Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero is another Thrasios shell that wants every possible draw engine stacked together, and Wan Shi Tong, Librarian slots in as a redundant value piece that keeps the hand full through the mid-to-late game grind.
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Zimone, Infinite Analyst actively wants to play multiple lands per turn, which is precisely when Wan Shi Tong, Librarian pays off hardest — each extra land drop becomes an additional card drawn, turning Zimone's core mechanic into double-dipping value.
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 |
Commander is unambiguously where Wan Shi Tong, Librarian belongs — the format's long games and heavy land-ramp shells give the knowledge counters time to accumulate into genuine card advantage. In Legacy and Vintage, a five-mana creature that doesn't immediately impact the board is nearly unplayable against decks that win on turns one through three. Modern and Pioneer are marginally more hospitable but still too fast for a card that asks you to untap with it; dedicated ramp shells in those formats have better options at this price point. Standard is the one format where the card could see fringe play in a controlling Simic build, though it's a slow threat in an environment that rewards efficiency.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Tatyova, Benthic Druid is the closest budget replacement for Wan Shi Tong, Librarian — it triggers on every land drop and gains life too, all for three mana less, though it lacks the activated ability ceiling that makes the Librarian so powerful in dedicated combo builds. Tireless Tracker is another option that converts land plays into clues and eventually into card draw, trading the immediate draw trigger for a more resilient, threat-shaped body that demands removal.
Price Context
Current price
$61.22 premium tier
At $61.22, Wan Shi Tong, Librarian sits firmly in premium territory — you're paying for a high-profile card from a sought-after licensed set, and that licensing premium is baked into the price. It holds value well in the short term given its Commander demand, but this is a card you buy because you're building the deck, not because you expect it to appreciate.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Thrasios, Triton Hero // Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful
- Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
- Katara, Waterbending Master
- Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools // Thrasios, Triton Hero
- Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.