Word of Binding
Sorcery
Tap X target creatures.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Renaissance
- Price
- $0.99
- EDHREC rank
- #25395
Word of Binding taps any number of target creatures an opponent controls for a single black mana — a sweeping tap effect that can lock down an entire board for one turn. The payoff is real, but the single-use nature means it buys time rather than solves problems.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Word of Binding is a niche combat trick — one black mana to tap every creature a single opponent controls is legitimately powerful in a pinch, but it only touches one player at a table of four, which limits its impact in the format where multi-opponent reach matters most. Pauper is where the card has the clearest theoretical home, since common-legal mass-tap effects are scarce and the one-on-one context removes the multiplayer liability entirely. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but irrelevant — the formats move too fast and the effect too narrow for any serious consideration. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander's dynamic: usable, occasionally backbreaking, but rarely worth a slot over more permanent answers.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.99 bulk tier
At $0.99, Word of Binding sits at the high end of bulk — most copies of the card are priced below this, and demand is low enough that the price is unlikely to climb. It's a safe pickup if the effect fits your build, but don't expect the price to do anything interesting.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.