Warden of the Chained
Creature — Minotaur Warrior
Trample
This creature can't attack unless you control another creature with power 4 or greater.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GR
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Theros Beyond Death
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #27257
Warden of the Chained is a 5/4 trampler for three mana — an absurd rate — locked behind the condition that you control another Minotaur, which means it's unplayable outside tribal. In Minotaur builds, it's an auto-include; everywhere else, it's a blank.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Warden of the Chained is essentially a Minotaur-tribal card in every format it's legal in — the condition is too restrictive to play it anywhere else. In Commander, Minotaur tribal decks centered on Neheb, the Worthy treat it as a core piece: three mana for a 5/4 trampler is well above rate, and the tribal density those decks run makes the condition trivial to satisfy. In Modern and Pioneer, Minotaur tribal is a fringe casual archetype at best, so Warden sees almost no competitive play there. Legacy and Vintage have no tribal support structure where it matters, and the card simply doesn't exist in those metagames.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Warden of the Chained is deep bulk — buy a playset for the price of a pack of gum. Given its narrow tribal restriction, there's no realistic demand spike on the horizon, so treat it as a permanent bulk slot.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.