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Balin, Loremaster
USD $0.82
USD foil $1.07
EUR €0.53
MTGO 0.07 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
#12,318
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 0.00
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 82 %+78.2 %
  2. Glóin, Dwarf Emissary 74 %+68.4 %
  3. Blazing Firesinger 73 %+67.8 %
  4. Fíli and Kíli, Joyous 67 %+64.8 %
  5. Magmakin Artillerist 65 %+62.3 %
  6. Dori, Bearer of Friends 64 %+61.9 %
  7. Dwarven Mine 71 %+61.1 %
  8. Glóin the Mighty 63 %+59.8 %
  9. Dwarven Grunt 63 %+59.1 %
  10. Cool but Rude 59 %+55.9 %
  11. Plundering Barbarian 61 %+55.2 %
  12. Monument to Endurance 58 %+53.5 %
  13. Containment Construct 55 %+51.6 %
  14. Glint-Horn Buccaneer 53 %+49.6 %
  15. Bloodfire Dwarf 52 %+48.7 %
  16. Óin the Brave 52 %+48.6 %
  17. Misty Knight, Hero for Hire 49 %+47.1 %
  18. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 69 %+46.3 %
  19. Dwarven Mauler 48 %+44.5 %
  20. Change of Fortune 46 %+44.2 %
  21. The Lonely Mountain 46 %+43.2 %
  22. Universal Automaton 47 %+42.8 %
  23. Dwarven Trader 46 %+42.5 %
  24. Gimli of the Glittering Caves 48 %+42.2 %
  25. Dwarven Scorcher 44 %+40.6 %
  26. Rubble Rouser 42 %+40.6 %
  27. Fearless Liberator 40 %+38.3 %
  28. Dwarven Reinforcements 39 %+38.2 %
  29. Dwarven Recruiter 40 %+38.0 %
  30. Magda, the Hoardmaster 43 %+36.3 %
  31. Electroduplicate 40 %+36.0 %
  32. Devastating Onslaught 39 %+35.5 %
  33. Alhammarret's Archive 36 %+35.0 %
  34. Vault Robber 38 %+34.9 %
  35. Roaming Throne 43 %+33.8 %
  36. Spark Mage 36 %+33.2 %
  37. Bag of Holding 35 %+33.1 %
  38. Liberated Dwarf 36 %+32.7 %
  39. Collective Inferno 36 %+32.0 %
  40. Seven Dwarves 33 %+31.3 %
  41. Brallin, Skyshark Rider 33 %+31.2 %
  42. Cursed Mirror 54 %+31.1 %
  43. Phial of Galadriel 32 %+31.0 %
  44. Twinflame 36 %+29.1 %
  45. Dwarven Armorer 31 %+28.9 %
  46. Surly Badgersaur 31 %+28.2 %
  47. Elixir of Immortality 30 %+27.8 %
  48. Great Furnace 40 %+27.8 %
  49. Enslaved Dwarf 30 %+27.5 %
  50. Psychosis Crawler 28 %+26.7 %

Most included 50

Highest share of decks running them, distinctive or not.

  1. Mountain 96 %+1.5 %
  2. Sol Ring 85 %+1.2 %
  3. Magda, Brazen Outlaw 82 %+78.2 %
  4. Arcane Signet 74 %+13.2 %
  5. Glóin, Dwarf Emissary 74 %+68.4 %
  6. Blazing Firesinger 73 %+67.8 %
  7. Dwarven Mine 71 %+61.1 %
  8. Torbran, Thane of Red Fell 69 %+46.3 %
  9. Fíli and Kíli, Joyous 67 %+64.8 %
  10. Magmakin Artillerist 65 %+62.3 %
  11. Dori, Bearer of Friends 64 %+61.9 %
  12. Ruby Medallion 64 %+7.2 %
  13. Glóin the Mighty 63 %+59.8 %
  14. Dwarven Grunt 63 %+59.1 %
  15. Plundering Barbarian 61 %+55.2 %
  16. Cool but Rude 59 %+55.9 %
  17. Monument to Endurance 58 %+53.5 %
  18. Containment Construct 55 %+51.6 %
  19. Cursed Mirror 54 %+31.1 %
  20. Glint-Horn Buccaneer 53 %+49.6 %
  21. Bloodfire Dwarf 52 %+48.7 %
  22. Blasphemous Act 52 %-1.2 %
  23. Chaos Warp 52 %-9.0 %
  24. Óin the Brave 52 %+48.6 %
  25. Big Score 51 %+19.4 %
  26. Misty Knight, Hero for Hire 49 %+47.1 %
  27. Gimli of the Glittering Caves 48 %+42.2 %
  28. Dwarven Mauler 48 %+44.5 %
  29. Universal Automaton 47 %+42.8 %
  30. The Lonely Mountain 46 %+43.2 %
  31. Change of Fortune 46 %+44.2 %
  32. Dwarven Trader 46 %+42.5 %
  33. Dwarven Scorcher 44 %+40.6 %
  34. Faithless Looting 44 %+3.7 %
  35. Roaming Throne 43 %+33.8 %
  36. Return the Favor 43 %+20.8 %
  37. Seething Song 43 %+10.5 %
  38. Magda, the Hoardmaster 43 %+36.3 %
  39. Rubble Rouser 42 %+40.6 %
  40. Unexpected Windfall 42 %+16.7 %
  41. Electroduplicate 40 %+36.0 %
  42. Great Furnace 40 %+27.8 %
  43. Dwarven Recruiter 40 %+38.0 %
  44. Fearless Liberator 40 %+38.3 %
  45. Devastating Onslaught 39 %+35.5 %
  46. Jeska's Will 39 %+3.3 %
  47. Dwarven Reinforcements 39 %+38.2 %
  48. Thought Vessel 38 %+26.3 %
  49. Vault Robber 38 %+34.9 %
  50. Mines of Moria 37 %+25.3 %

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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