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Balin, Loremaster
USD $0.63
USD foil $1.23
EUR €0.50
MTGO 0.04 tix

Balin, Loremaster

{3}{R}{R}

Legendary Creature — Dwarf Bard

Storied (If you control three or more artifacts, legendaries, and/or Sagas, you have an enduring story for the rest of the game.)

Whenever Balin or another Dwarf you control enters, you may discard your hand. Draw X cards, where X is the number of cards discarded this way. If you have an enduring story, Balin deals X damage to each opponent.

4 / 4

Storied
Set
The Hobbit (HOB #301)
Rarity
Rare
Mana value
5
Released
2026-08-14
Artist
Colin Boyer
EDHREC rank
#10,292
Colour identity
{R}
Finishes
Nonfoil, Foil
Served from
Local database

Commander bracket

1 +
Fits any bracket
No Game Changer, land denial, extra turns or two-card combos.

Derived from card traits, not a ruling — bracket rules turn on how a deck intends to use a card. Bracket rules

EDHREC

Salt Score 0.24
How much players resent seeing this card. The scale tops out around 3.1.
Can be your commander

Combos

Not part of any combo on Commander Spellbook.

Commander recommendations

Top synergy 50

Played far more in this commander's decks than elsewhere.

  1. Magda, Brazen Outlaw 81 %+76.6 %
  2. Blazing Firesinger 72 %+66.9 %
  3. Fíli and Kíli, Joyous 69 %+66.4 %
  4. Glóin, Dwarf Emissary 71 %+65.6 %
  5. Dori, Bearer of Friends 66 %+64.0 %
  6. Glóin the Mighty 66 %+62.2 %
  7. Dwarven Mine 71 %+60.7 %
  8. Magmakin Artillerist 64 %+60.7 %
  9. Dwarven Grunt 62 %+58.1 %
  10. Plundering Barbarian 61 %+54.8 %
  11. Cool but Rude 58 %+54.2 %
  12. Monument to Endurance 59 %+54.1 %
  13. Óin the Brave 54 %+51.1 %
  14. Containment Construct 53 %+49.6 %
  15. Bloodfire Dwarf 51 %+47.1 %
  16. The Lonely Mountain 49 %+46.6 %
  17. Misty Knight, Hero for Hire 48 %+46.1 %
  18. Dwarven Mauler 49 %+46.1 %
  19. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 68 %+45.9 %
  20. Glint-Horn Buccaneer 49 %+45.4 %
  21. Rubble Rouser 45 %+43.2 %
  22. Change of Fortune 44 %+43.0 %
  23. Universal Automaton 46 %+41.8 %
  24. Dwarven Trader 44 %+40.7 %
  25. Gimli of the Glittering Caves 46 %+40.2 %
  26. Dwarven Scorcher 43 %+39.7 %
  27. Fearless Liberator 40 %+38.7 %
  28. Alhammarret's Archive 39 %+38.5 %
  29. Dwarven Reinforcements 39 %+38.4 %
  30. Vault Robber 40 %+37.0 %
  31. Magda, the Hoardmaster 42 %+36.0 %
  32. Dwarven Recruiter 37 %+35.7 %
  33. Bag of Holding 38 %+35.7 %
  34. Electroduplicate 39 %+34.4 %
  35. Seven Dwarves 35 %+33.6 %
  36. Devastating Onslaught 37 %+33.6 %
  37. Phial of Galadriel 34 %+33.1 %
  38. Roaming Throne 41 %+31.5 %
  39. Collective Inferno 35 %+31.3 %
  40. Spark Mage 34 %+30.9 %
  41. Liberated Dwarf 34 %+30.8 %
  42. Elixir of Immortality 31 %+29.1 %
  43. Great Furnace 41 %+29.0 %
  44. Cursed Mirror 52 %+28.6 %
  45. Twinflame 35 %+28.4 %
  46. Brallin, Skyshark Rider 30 %+28.0 %
  47. Feldon's Cane 27 %+26.8 %
  48. Mines of Moria 39 %+26.7 %
  49. Spider-Man, New Champion 28 %+26.6 %
  50. Thought Vessel 38 %+26.5 %

Most included 50

Highest share of decks running them, distinctive or not.

  1. Mountain 96 %+1.1 %
  2. Sol Ring 86 %+2.3 %
  3. Magda, Brazen Outlaw 81 %+76.6 %
  4. Blazing Firesinger 72 %+66.9 %
  5. Arcane Signet 72 %+11.5 %
  6. Glóin, Dwarf Emissary 71 %+65.6 %
  7. Dwarven Mine 71 %+60.7 %
  8. Fíli and Kíli, Joyous 69 %+66.4 %
  9. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 68 %+45.9 %
  10. Dori, Bearer of Friends 66 %+64.0 %
  11. Glóin the Mighty 66 %+62.2 %
  12. Ruby Medallion 65 %+7.8 %
  13. Magmakin Artillerist 64 %+60.7 %
  14. Dwarven Grunt 62 %+58.1 %
  15. Plundering Barbarian 61 %+54.8 %
  16. Monument to Endurance 59 %+54.1 %
  17. Cool but Rude 58 %+54.2 %
  18. Óin the Brave 54 %+51.1 %
  19. Containment Construct 53 %+49.6 %
  20. Chaos Warp 52 %-8.5 %
  21. Cursed Mirror 52 %+28.6 %
  22. Blasphemous Act 51 %-2.4 %
  23. Bloodfire Dwarf 51 %+47.1 %
  24. Big Score 49 %+16.9 %
  25. The Lonely Mountain 49 %+46.6 %
  26. Dwarven Mauler 49 %+46.1 %
  27. Glint-Horn Buccaneer 49 %+45.4 %
  28. Misty Knight, Hero for Hire 48 %+46.1 %
  29. Gimli of the Glittering Caves 46 %+40.2 %
  30. Universal Automaton 46 %+41.8 %
  31. Rubble Rouser 45 %+43.2 %
  32. Change of Fortune 44 %+43.0 %
  33. Dwarven Trader 44 %+40.7 %
  34. Faithless Looting 43 %+3.6 %
  35. Dwarven Scorcher 43 %+39.7 %
  36. Return the Favor 43 %+20.2 %
  37. Magda, the Hoardmaster 42 %+36.0 %
  38. Great Furnace 41 %+29.0 %
  39. Roaming Throne 41 %+31.5 %
  40. Seething Song 41 %+8.5 %
  41. Fearless Liberator 40 %+38.7 %
  42. Vault Robber 40 %+37.0 %
  43. Unexpected Windfall 39 %+14.0 %
  44. Alhammarret's Archive 39 %+38.5 %
  45. Dwarven Reinforcements 39 %+38.4 %
  46. Electroduplicate 39 %+34.4 %
  47. Mines of Moria 39 %+26.7 %
  48. Thought Vessel 38 %+26.5 %
  49. Bag of Holding 38 %+35.7 %
  50. Devastating Onslaught 37 %+33.6 %

Format legality

Rulings

  • 2026-06-29

    A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren't permanents.

  • 2026-06-29

    A single permanent can only count once toward the three legendary, Saga, and/or artifact permanents needed to get an enduring story, even if it has more than one of those qualities. If you control one permanent that is a legendary artifact and a second permanent that is a Saga, you will only have two of the three permanents required to get an enduring story.

  • 2026-06-29

    If you control three legendary, Saga, and/or artifact permanents but don't control a permanent with storied, you don't get an enduring story. For example, if you controlled three artifacts, lost control of two, then cast Thorin Oakenshield, you won't have an enduring story.

  • 2026-06-29

    If your third legendary, Saga, or artifact permanent enters the battlefield and then one of those permanents leaves the battlefield immediately afterwards (most likely due to the "legend rule" or due to being a creature with 0 toughness), you get an enduring story before it leaves the battlefield.

  • 2026-06-29

    Once you have an enduring story, you have it for the rest of the game, even if you lose control of some or all of your storied permanents. The enduring story designation is on the player and can't be removed by any effect.

  • 2026-06-29

    Storied isn't a triggered ability and doesn't use the stack. Players can respond to a spell that will give you your third legendary, Saga, and/or artifact permanent, but they can't respond to you getting an enduring story once you control that third permanent.

  • 2026-06-29

    The decision to discard your hand is made during the resolution of the ability, so there is no opportunity for an opponent to respond between choosing to discard your hand and drawing cards.

  • 2026-06-29

    You may choose to discard your hand even if your hand contains zero cards.

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