Yew Spirit
Creature — Spirit Treefolk
: This creature gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is its power.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Avacyn Restored
- Price
- $0.07
- EDHREC rank
- #25423
Yew Spirit turns itself into an 8/8 for six mana total — a reasonable body, but the activation requires tapping five lands, which means the turn you go for it is the turn you do nothing else. Outside of dedicated Treefolk or land-untapping shells, the opportunity cost is too steep to justify a slot.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Fangorn, Tree Shepherd
Fangorn, Tree Shepherd untaps lands when Treefolk enter the battlefield, which directly offsets the five-land activation cost that makes Yew Spirit awkward everywhere else — suddenly doubling its power and toughness doesn't lock you out of your turn.
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 |
Yew Spirit is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but competitive constructed formats have ignored it entirely — a six-mana 4/4 with a costly pump ability doesn't compete in Legacy or Modern, where the bar for green creatures is set by cards that win the game outright. Commander is its only realistic home, and even there Yew Spirit occupies a narrow slot: Treefolk tribal decks that can generate surplus mana or untap lands mid-turn. Outside that context, it's outclassed by green staples that cost less and do more without requiring you to tap your whole board.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.07 bulk tier
At $0.07, Yew Spirit is deep bulk — the kind of card that shows up in draft chaff and collection lots. There's no meaningful demand outside of Treefolk tribal corners of Commander, so don't expect the price to move.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.