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Absorbing Man

MSH · rare · Released 2026-06-26

Power

brawl
tier-1Game-defining
commander
tier-1Game-defining

Tier shown as baseline → best-case (in its ideal shell).

Derived from the 7 atoms below.

over

above rate

standalone

meaningful alone

synergy

wants support

takes over

can take over a game

flexible

multiple modes

broad

broadly useful

fragile

easily answered

Commander Bracket

1Precon2Core3Upgraded4Optimized5cEDH

Archetypes

positive:
artifact-mattersenchantment-matterslands-matterlegendary-matters
negative:
aggrotokens-go-wide

Roles

midrange-threatclone-targetcombo-pieceevasive-threat

Risks

once-per-turn-restrictedsorcery-speed-onlyremoval-magnetslow-setup

Mechanics

Typal

synergy:
humanvillain
anti:

Structural

triggered-abilitystatic-ability

Rationale

Absorbing Man is a 4/4 vigilance legendary for 3 that copies any target artifact, non-Aura enchantment, or land at the start of each main phase, retaining its creature status and stats. This makes it an exceptional value engine in artifact-matters, enchantment-matters, or lands-matter shells — effectively giving you a second copy of your best noncreature permanent each turn cycle. The triggered-ability copy occurs at your first main phase, meaning it's predictable and interactable, and the card is a removal magnet given its recurring upside.

Learnings (3)

  • Absorbing Man copies the permanent's rules text, so if he copies a mana rock (e.g. Sol Ring), he becomes a 4/4 creature that also taps for mana — this stacks with the 'in addition to his other types' clause, making him unexpectedly versatile as a repeatable mana source.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • The copy effect lasts 'until your next turn,' meaning he retains the copied permanent's abilities through your opponents' turns as well — relevant for copying things like Propaganda or Doubling Season for a full round.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

  • He can copy lands, which means in a pinch he can fix your mana or provide an extra untapped land, but he remains a creature (4/4 Vigilance) so he can still attack and block — a subtle but impactful rules interaction.

    tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

Popularity

  • EDHREC rank: #28,459