Word of Seizing
Instant
Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities.)
Untap target permanent and gain control of it until end of turn. It gains haste until end of turn.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Time Spiral
- Price
- $0.28
- EDHREC rank
- #12715
Word of Seizing steals any permanent until end of turn at instant speed — and split second means no one can respond to stop it. Five mana is the price, but the uncounterable clause and the breadth of targets (any permanent, not just creatures) make it one of the most reliable theft spells in Commander; Mischievous Quanar can copy it, and Brion Stoutarm turns the stolen creature into a fling before it ever goes back.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Brion Stoutarm
Brion Stoutarm's entire game plan is grabbing something big and throwing it at someone's face, and Word of Seizing is the cleanest way to do that — steal the table's most threatening creature at instant speed, fling it for a lethal chunk of damage, and watch it return to its owner as a corpse.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Word of Seizing does its best work: a four-player table means there are always three people's permanents to steal, and split second shuts down the counter-magic-heavy decks that would otherwise answer it cleanly. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but effectively unplayed — faster formats reward cheaper interaction, and five mana for a one-turn theft isn't competitive when Swords to Plowshares exists at one. Modern is the same story: the effect is powerful but the cost is too steep for a format measured in turns three and four. Word of Seizing belongs in Commander, specifically in decks that can weaponize the stolen permanent on the same turn rather than just tempo-trade with it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Mischievous QuanarRadiateWord of Seizing
Gain control of all permanents until end of turn
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.28 bulk tier
At $0.28, Word of Seizing sits firmly in bulk territory despite being a genuinely powerful effect. That price is stable — it sees enough Commander play to keep copies in circulation but not enough demand to push it higher, so you're unlikely to pay more or less than this at your local shop or any major retailer.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.