Bastion of Remembrance
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Enchantment
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Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander (TDC)
50% of games where Bastion of Remembrance hit the battlefield ended in a win for its controller, a +12.9-point edge over the 37.1% win rate when it stayed in the library all game.
Bastion of Remembrance sits in 4% of tracked Commander decks on Playgroup Live, but in the decks that run it, it punches hard. When cast, its controller wins 50% of the time compared to 37.1% when the card never leaves the library. That +12.9-percentage-point delta is the strongest directional signal in the dataset.
The draw-to-play rate is 68.75%: most players who find it cast it. The card does ask for patience. Median first-cast turn is 5, and only 8.3% of casts land exactly on curve at turn 3. Seven of 24 casts came ahead of curve via ramp, and the hand-to-cast data shows a median hold time of one turn before committing. Players aren't slamming it. They're picking a moment.
Its commander distribution is broad, spanning Zombie tribal (Wilhelt), token aristocrats (Caesar, Trynn), and mono-black sacrifice shells (Braids, Elas il-Kor). Any black deck that plans to trade creatures repeatedly has a reason to consider it. The early signal here is consistent: when Bastion resolves and stays on board, games trend toward the caster.
- 4.1% inclusion rate across tracked Commander decks
- 50% win rate when cast, versus 37.1% when it stays in the library
- +12.9pp cast-vs-library win-rate delta, the clearest directional signal in the data
- 68.75% of drawn Bastions are cast before the game ends
- T5 median first-cast turn
- 83% battlefield stickiness once it resolves
First-cast turn
n=24The "good card" funnel
123 broughtOf 123 Bastions brought to games, 32 were drawn, 22 of those were cast, and 20 were still on the battlefield when the game ended, a tight funnel that rewards decks built to find it early.
Players who cast this card win 50% of the time (n=24) , vs 37% when it never left the library (n=89).
Final zone distribution
123 instances89 of 123 brought instances never left the library, a normal outcome for a 4%-inclusion singleton. The 20 battlefield endings and 4 graveyard endings represent games where it actually got to work.
Top commanders running this card
by deck count-
1
Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver
7 decks
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2
Caesar, Legion's Emperor
6 decks
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3
Shadow the Hedgehog
6 decks
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4
Y'shtola, Night's Blessed
6 decks
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5
Braids, Arisen Nightmare
5 decks
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6
Hazel of the Rootbloom
5 decks
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7
Sméagol, Helpful Guide
5 decks
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8
Trynn, Champion of Freedom
5 decks
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9
Valgavoth, Harrower of Souls
5 decks
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10
Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim
4 decks
Ten commanders each appear with 4-7 copies, a notably spread distribution that confirms Bastion of Remembrance fits across many black sacrifice and token archetypes rather than one specific shell.
How often is Bastion of Remembrance drawn in a Commander game? ▾
Across 116 tracked games, Bastion was drawn in 26% of deck-instances where it was present. That's roughly in line with what you'd expect from a singleton in a 100-card deck. Of 32 instances drawn, 22 were cast before the game ended, giving a draw-to-play rate of 68.75%.
What does the win-rate delta actually tell us? ▾
When Bastion of Remembrance was cast, its controller won 50% of those games (12 of 24). When it sat in the library the whole game, its controller won 37.1% of the time (33 of 89). The +12.9-point gap is a directional signal that casting the card correlates with better outcomes, though the cast bucket at 24 observations is small. Treat this as early signal, not a proven causal claim.
What turn does Bastion of Remembrance usually get cast? ▾
Median first-cast turn is 5, a full two turns after its 3-mana cost would suggest on a raw curve. The p25-to-p75 range runs from turn 2 to turn 8, showing wide variance. Seven of 24 casts came ahead of the natural curve, most likely through ramp. Players also hold it an average of 1.36 turns after drawing before committing to casting, suggesting they wait for a favorable board state.
Which commanders run Bastion of Remembrance most often? ▾
Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver leads with 7 decks, followed by Caesar, Legion's Emperor, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Y'shtola, Night's Blessed at 6 each. The spread reaches mono-black sacrifice (Braids, Elas il-Kor) and token aristocrats (Trynn). That breadth reflects the card's design: any black strategy that expects regular creature deaths can slot it in.
Is Bastion of Remembrance legal in Commander? ▾
Yes. Bastion of Remembrance is legal in Commander. It is also legal in Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Historic, Timeless, and Duel Commander. It is not legal in Standard, Pauper, Pauper Commander, or Premodern.
How sticky is Bastion of Remembrance once it resolves? ▾
83.3% of cast Bastions were still on the battlefield when the game ended. Of 24 casts tracked, 20 remained in play at the final zone check. Enchantments generally survive better than creatures in Commander because fewer removal spells target them, and this dataset is consistent with that pattern.