Sage of the Beyond – Kaldheim Commander
Date Reviewed: August 14, 2025
Ratings:
Constructed: 1.92
Casual: 3.37
Limited: N/A
Multiplayer: 3.50
Commander [EDH]: 3.67
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
Sage of the Beyond is a card that gains more and more uses as time goes by, at a surprisingly rapid rate. It was in Kaldheim‘s Commander decks to draw attention to the foretell mechanic, but I feel that this was shortly before the parallel class of cards that uses the exile zone as a holding area for “impulsive” spellcasting really took off. Presumably Wizards of the Coast knew that at the time, and similarly, you all should know that it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down any time soon. It takes another reading or so to truly understand that the Sage’s effect also applies to the graveyard, which is a much more established alternate spellcasting route, making it a potential boon to a lot of old and new deck archetypes. And yes, it took me a couple of readings to truly understand that it also applies to the command zone. It’s another card that’s good to keep in your mind whenever new sets come out – you never know what it’s going to do next.
Constructed: 1.5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: N/A
Multiplayer: 3.5
Commander [EDH]: 3.5
Sage of the Beyond has only ever been in Commander subsets, so scores reflect this.
Sage of the Beyond seems like quite a nice card to touch on now, coming off of a set with a “cast from exile” mechanic at its forefront. The discount is definitely potent, and it should be noted that this would apply to cards in your command zone, so this can be a great way to shortcut that and pay for things like flashback, warp, and foretell. The catch is that this is an expensive enabler: cost reduction shines brightest when the card comes down very early, and as a seven-mana investment that you might be able to bring out on turn 5, this feels a bit harder as a sell. It’s definitely not unplayable in more casual settings, and it’s a dangerous enabler in formats like Commander, but this effect just doesn’t do enough to pay off for the high price point, even if the body itself is acceptable in a pinch as an attacker or blocker.
Constructed: 1.25 (you’re not going to get this to work in Legacy)
Casual: 3.5
Limited: N/A (probably around a 3.75, if for no other reason than the flying body)
Multiplayer: 3
Commander [EDH]: 3.5 (it’s a good enabler, if you can get there)
Thijs
Commander has become the format for Magic over the years. Some will say rightfully so, others will shrug and go back to 60-card formats. It’s all fine, as long as we gather and play, right?
Commander-specific cards have been around ever since the printing of the first commander decks in 2011, commander subsets came with Zendikar Rising. Sage of the Beyond was first printed in Kaldheim and reprinted in Outlaws of Thunder Junction.
Cards that get rid of commander tax are always an interesting option. Using foretell to strategise when this card comes in handy is even more useful. Add to that the fact that it’s played at instant speed (yes, it is, just not on anyone else’s turn) and you see how useful and powerful this card is.
On top of that, it’s a big flying body, which always comes in handy. There are also lots of cards that synergise with this giant spirit, like Vega, the Watcher and Wild-Magic Sorcerer.
Constructed: 3
Casual: 3
Limited: 3
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
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