Read the Bones

Read the Bones is a black sorcery that counts as card draw. It appears in the recommended lists of 149 commanders, and 5% of black decks run it.

Type: Sorcery

Cost: 2B

Color identity: Black

Reference price: €0.20

Oldest printing: Theros

Role in the deck: card draw

Rules text

Scry 2, then draw two cards. You lose 2 life. (To scry 2, look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them on the bottom and the rest on top in any order.)

Official text (Scryfall).

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Commanders that play it

The commanders with the highest synergy with this card, with the share of their decks that run it. Each one links to its deck guide.

Commander	Identity	Inclusion	Synergy
Boomerang, Blade Flinger	Black	60%	+44%
Splinter, the Mentor	Black	54%	+38%
Yargle, Glutton of Urborg	Black	54%	+38%
Witch-king, Bringer of Ruin	Black	53%	+37%
Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis	Black	51%	+35%
Jacob Frye	Black	50%	+34%
Starscream, Power Hungry // Starscream, Seeker Leader	Black	49%	+33%
The Destined Black Mage	Black	49%	+33%
Veldrane of Sengir	Black	48%	+32%
Selenia, Dark Angel	Black · White	41%	+32%
Xun Yu, Wei Advisor	Black	47%	+31%
Skeleton Ship	Black · Blue	33%	+30%
Ur-Drago	Black · Blue	33%	+29%
Spirit of the Night	Black	45%	+29%
Kardur, Doomscourge	Black · Red	40%	+28%
Kagemaro, First to Suffer	Black	43%	+27%
Fandaniel, Telophoroi Ascian	Black	43%	+27%
Kazarov, Sengir Pureblood	Black · Red	39%	+27%
Keskit, the Flesh Sculptor	Black	43%	+27%
Hythonia the Cruel	Black	42%	+27%
Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt	Black · Red · White	35%	+26%
Tor Wauki the Younger	Black · Red	38%	+26%
Uchbenbak, the Great Mistake	Black · Blue	29%	+25%
Papalymo Totolymo	Black · White	34%	+25%

How much it is played, by color identity

Share of decks in each identity that run it, according to EDHREC.

Archetypes where it shows up

The most common themes among the commanders that play it. Each one links to its archetype guide.

Combo · 46 Lifegain · 46 Aggro · 45 Control · 44 Voltron · 43 Aristocrats · 42 Reanimator · 40 +1/+1 Counters · 33

Cards that go with it

The ones that show up most often in the same commanders' lists.

Frequently asked questions

Which Commander decks play Read the Bones?

It is in the recommended lists of 149 commanders, with an average inclusion of 30% in their decks. The commanders with the highest synergy with it are Boomerang, Blade Flinger · Splinter, the Mentor · Yargle, Glutton of Urborg. Overall, 5% of black decks run it.

How much does Read the Bones cost?

Its reference price is €0.20 (cheapest English printing according to Scryfall; it changes daily). The EDH Optimizer optimizer only suggests cards that fit the per-card price cap you pick.

Does Read the Bones have combos?

It does not appear in any combo catalogued on Commander Spellbook. That does not mean it has no synergies, only that it is not part of a known infinite loop.

Can I play Read the Bones in my deck?

It is legal in Commander. Its color identity is black, so it only fits in decks whose commander has those colors in its identity (or any deck if it is colorless). EDH Optimizer automatically flags cards outside your commander's identity.