How Many Word of Command Were Printed?

Instant

Look at target opponent’s hand and choose a card from it. You control that player until Word of Command finishes resolving. The player plays that card if able. While doing so, the player can activate mana abilities only if they’re from lands that player controls and only if mana they produce is spent to activate other mana abilities of lands the player controls and/or to play that card. If the chosen card is cast as a spell, you control the player while that spell is resolving.

Alpha — First Printing Data

RareBlackReserved List

Mana costBB

Copies printed (Alpha)1,008

ArtistJesper Myrfors

Collector number#136

ReferenceView on Scryfall →

Word of Command is a rare black Instant first printed in Alpha (August 1993). The Carta Mundi factory produced exactly 1,008 copies across the Alpha print run of 2,609,728 cards, with artwork by Jesper Myrfors. It was also printed in Beta (3,025 copies), Unlimited, Collectors Edition (9,000 copies) and International Edition (4,500 copies). As part of the Reserved List, Word of Command will never be reprinted by Wizards of the Coast, making the original copies the only ones that will ever exist.

Print Run Comparison

Documented in 5 of the 8 editions currently analyzed.

Beta has approximately 3× as many copies as Alpha.

International Edition has approximately 0.5× as many copies as Collectors Edition.

Total copies across analyzed editions 🔒

Edition	Copies Printed	Chance in a Booster Pack	Chance in a Starter Deck	Chance per Booster Box	Chance per Sealed Case	Chance per Starter Display
Alpha	1,008	0.83%	🔒	25.83%	🔒	🔒
Beta	3,025	0.83%	🔒	25.83%	🔒	🔒
Unlimited	🔒	0.83%	🔒	25.83%	🔒	🔒
Collectors Edition	9,000	—	—	100% (complete set)	—	—
International Edition	4,500	—	—	100% (complete set)	—	—

Alpha

Copies printed1,008

Chance in a Booster Pack0.83%

Chance in a Starter Deck🔒

Chance per Booster Box25.83%

Chance per Sealed Case🔒

Chance per Starter Display🔒

Beta

Copies printed3,025

Chance in a Booster Pack0.83%

Chance in a Starter Deck🔒

Chance per Booster Box25.83%

Chance per Sealed Case🔒

Chance per Starter Display🔒

Unlimited

Copies printed🔒

Chance in a Booster Pack0.83%

Chance in a Starter Deck🔒

Chance per Booster Box25.83%

Chance per Sealed Case🔒

Chance per Starter Display🔒

Collectors Edition

Copies printed9,000

Chance in a Booster Pack—

Chance in a Starter Deck—

Chance per Booster Box100% (complete set)

Chance per Sealed Case—

Chance per Starter Display—

International Edition

Copies printed4,500

Chance in a Booster Pack—

Chance in a Starter Deck—

Chance per Booster Box100% (complete set)

Chance per Sealed Case—

Chance per Starter Display—

"Chance in a Booster Pack" is the probability of finding at least one copy of this card in a single sealed booster pack of that edition. The same applies to starter decks, booster boxes, sealed cases and starter displays — pack and box compositions vary by edition and are detailed on each edition page.

Why are the odds identical across Alpha, Beta and Unlimited? All three editions were printed from the same 11×11 sheet layout and used the same pack composition, so the pull odds per pack never changed — only the total number of copies printed did.

Source: print run figures are based on documented production evidence and Wizards of the Coast statements. Single-booster probabilities and other results already published by credible sources remain free; additional sealed-product odds follow the edition policy.

Edition Details

Word of Command — Beta

Release dateOctober 4, 1993 (LEB)

Edition print run7,830,515 cards · 302 cards

DistributionBooster packs (15 cards) and Starter decks (60 cards)

RarityRare

Copies printed3,025

ArtistJesper Myrfors

Collector number#137

Chance in a booster pack0.83%

Chance in a starter deck🔒

Chance per booster box (36)25.83%

Chance per sealed case🔒

Chance per starter display (10)🔒

ReferenceView on Scryfall →

Word of Command — Unlimited

Release dateDecember 1, 1993 (2ED)

Reconstructed Print Run34,993,200 cards · 302 cards

DistributionBooster packs (15 cards) and Starter decks (60 cards)

RarityRare

Copies printed🔒

ArtistJesper Myrfors

Collector number#137

Chance in a booster pack0.83%

Chance in a starter deck🔒

Chance per booster box (36)25.83%

Chance per sealed case🔒

Chance per starter display (10)🔒

ReferenceView on Scryfall →

Word of Command — Collectors Edition

Release dateDecember 10, 1993 (CED)

Edition print run3,267,000 cards · 363 cards per boxed set

DistributionComplete boxed set (9,000 sets, US/Canada)

RarityRare

Copies printed9,000

ArtistJesper Myrfors

Collector number#137

Pull odds100% — every boxed set contains the complete edition

ReferenceView on Scryfall →

Word of Command — International Edition

Release dateDecember 10, 1993 (CEI)

Edition print run1,633,500 cards · 363 cards per boxed set

DistributionComplete boxed set (4,500 sets, international)

RarityRare

Copies printed4,500

ArtistJesper Myrfors

Collector number#137

Pull odds100% — every boxed set contains the complete edition

ReferenceView on Scryfall →

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