Wax // Wane
Instant // Instant
Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- World Championship Decks 2002
- Price
- $1.24
- EDHREC rank
- #19351
Wax // Wane earns its slot by doing two distinct things on one card: pump a creature to push through damage or survive combat, and destroy an enchantment that's locking you out of the game. The cost is real — neither half is efficient by the standards of a dedicated spell — but in Sergeant John Benton, where the card gets copied for free, the modal flexibility becomes twice as powerful for the same investment.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Sergeant John Benton
Sergeant John Benton copies noncreature spells you cast, and Wax // Wane hands him two triggers to choose from — buff a creature to close out combat or strip an enchantment while the copy hits a second target.
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 |
Wax // Wane is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, and Commander is by far its best home. Legacy and Vintage have no interest in a split card that costs two mana to destroy an enchantment when Abrupt Decay and Force of Will exist. In Commander, the modal flexibility is exactly what singleton formats reward — one slot that answers a Propaganda or pushes a creature through a chump blocker depending on what the board demands.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.24 cheap tier
At $1.24, Wax // Wane is an easy include for budget Selesnya builds that need enchantment removal without spending a slot on a card that does nothing else. The price is unlikely to move; it's a narrow split card with a ceiling tied almost entirely to Sergeant John Benton's sustained popularity.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.