Word of Command
Instant
Look at target opponent's hand and choose a card from it. You control that player until Word of Command finishes resolving. The player plays that card if able. While doing so, the player can activate mana abilities only if they're from lands that player controls and only if mana they produce is spent to activate other mana abilities of lands the player controls and/or to play that card. If the chosen card is cast as a spell, you control the player while that spell is resolving.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- 30th Anniversary Edition
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #18865
Word of Command lets you take full control of an opponent's turn — not just one spell, but their entire decision tree, forcing them to spend resources optimally against your other opponents while you watch. Two black mana for that effect is genuinely absurd, and the ceiling is high enough that the card earns its reserved-list price tag.
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 |
Commander is where Word of Command does its best work — politics, threat assessment, and multi-opponent tables mean forcibly activating a Craterhoof Behemoth or redirecting a counterspell at a critical moment can swing entire games. Legacy and Vintage technically allow it, but those formats move too fast and linearly for a two-mana 'take their turn' effect to outperform simpler disruption. Word of Command is a Commander card in practice, even if the rules text doesn't say so.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Word of Command is a Reserved List card with no reprint path, and pricing reflects that scarcity — expect to pay a significant premium for any copy in decent condition. Without current market data confirmed here, check recent Scryfall or TCGPlayer sales before buying; Reserved List prices drift unpredictably and condition spreads on older cards are steep.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.