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Workhorse

Artifact Creature — Horse

This creature enters with four +1/+1 counters on it.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: Add {C}.

CMC
6
Mana cost
{6}
Color identity
C
Rarity
rare
Set
Exodus
Price
$2.37
EDHREC rank
#12990
Buy on TCGplayer
Workhorse card art
Workhorse enters with four +1/+1 counters and lets you cash each one for a colorless mana — it's a 0/0 that converts itself into four mana the moment it hits the battlefield. The cost is real: six mana for a creature that leaves behind nothing but the mana it spent itself on. The payoff only materializes in engines that want the enters-the-battlefield trigger or a sacrifice target, and Grenzo, Dungeon Warden is the clearest example of a commander that makes the math work.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden

48.7% of decks · synergy 0.48

Grenzo, Dungeon Warden runs Workhorse because the counter-removal loop generates the black and red mana Grenzo's activated ability demands repeatedly in a single turn — Workhorse essentially pays for multiple Grenzo activations the same turn it enters, making it one of the most efficient engine pieces in the deck.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Workhorse is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but it sees virtually no competitive play in Legacy or Vintage — six mana for a mana-conversion creature is too slow for those formats, which have far more efficient mana engines available. Oathbreaker occasionally uses it in combo shells that mirror the Grenzo line, but the card's real home is Commander. In Commander, Workhorse is a niche but legitimate combo piece: anywhere that wants repeatable sacrifice fodder, counter manipulation, or a one-card mana burst to kick off an engine, it earns its slot.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$2.37 cheap tier

At $2.37, Workhorse sits in the cheap tier — low enough that including it in any viable shell is a no-brainer budget decision. It's a narrow card with a small audience, so the price reflects demand from Grenzo, Dungeon Warden lists almost exclusively; don't expect that ceiling to move much in either direction.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.