Warped Researcher
Creature — Human Wizard Mutant
Whenever a player cycles a card, this creature gains flying and shroud until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Legions
- Price
- $0.15
- EDHREC rank
- #30759
Warped Researcher turns every spell an opponent casts into a forced discard, which is a punishing effect stapled to a 3/3 body for five mana. The cost is steep enough that it only earns a slot in decks that can reliably exploit the discard trigger — it's a role-player, not a staple.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Warped Researcher is a Commander card through and through — the multiplayer table multiplies every opponent's spell into a discard trigger, turning a single creature into sustained hand disruption across three or more players. In a 1-on-1 format like Legacy or Vintage, where it's technically legal, a five-mana 3/3 with a conditional discard trigger is far too slow and fragile to compete. Commander is the only context where Warped Researcher earns its slot, and even there it belongs specifically in discard-synergy builds rather than as a generic include.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.15 bulk tier
At $0.15, Warped Researcher is deep bulk — the kind of card you pull from a box rather than buy. That price reflects its narrow application accurately, and there's no pressure to acquire it at any particular time.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.