<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arahbo, the First Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Arahbo, the First Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.monsterart.co.uk/">Simon Dominic</a></em></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>But how do you play Cats in Commander? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Cats in Commander? And how do you win with Cats?</p>
<p>This EDHREC Guide is here to answer all of these questions.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/cats-guide-header.png

<p>The first official Cat printed in <em>Magic</em> was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Canyon Wildcat" href="#" target="_blank">Canyon Wildcat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> back in <em>Tempest.</em> This was just a Cat, no secondary creature type or any change to its creature type after release. However, it is not the oldest <em>Magic</em> card to later become a Cat.</p>
<p>The first card that would eventually come to be part of the Cat creature type was <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Savannah Lions" href="#" target="_blank">Savannah Lions</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in <em>Alpha</em>, originally the now-defunct Lion creature type. This was then expanded-upon with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cat Warriors" href="#" target="_blank">Cat Warriors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in <em>Legends,</em> though this was technically the single creature type Cat Warriors.</p>
<p>It would later be changed to the dual "race and class" creature type format as introduced in the Grand Creature Type Update, unsurprisingly being both a Cat and a Warrior.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Canyon Wildcat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Savannah Lions"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cat Warriors"></div></div>
<p>Throughout all of this and into modern <em>Magic,</em> Cats have always had a strong tie to <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> above all other colors, though <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> features quite regularly as a tertiary splash. Multicolored Cats typically have an anchor in either <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, though many appear across all colors.</p>
<p>Cats appear both as feline animals as well as humanoids with feline traits called Catfolk. These two subtypes tend to have different specializations within the Cat creature type, but are mechanically the same.</p>


<h3>Big Litters</h3>
<p>Cats synergize with and enjoy the company of other creatures. However, these aren't often static benefits that affect all other Cats, they're often based on the number of creatures you have under your control or trigger upon a creature entering the battlefield (ETB).</p>
<p>Sometimes this specifies Cats, but not always! Many Cat abilities are reliant on having large board states with multiple creatures or whose main strength comes from affecting many different low-power creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kemba, Kha Regent"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jedit Ojanen, Mercenary"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brimaz, King of Oreskos"></div></div>
<h3>A Cat's Best Friend</h3>
<p>Cats have a few specific synergies with other creature types, often dependent on which flavor of Cat is being depicted.</p>
<p>Housecat felines and other Cats related to real-world animals tend to have synergies with other animals, such as Beasts and Dogs. These effects tend to reference other creature types directly and have some mutually supportive effect, such as Dogs creating Cats and Cats creating Dogs or creating either Cats or Dogs that fulfill different niches.</p>
<p>Catfolk Cats tend to synergize more with specific "class" creature types such as Knight and Cleric but most commonly Warrior. They can be just about any class a Human or Elf or Vampire can be, though they certainly have some they focus on more than others. They also tend towards having synergy with Equipment, either gaining benefits upon equipping them or making them more accessible.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lucky the Pizza Dog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Balan, Wandering Knight"></div></div>
<h3>Incremental Utility</h3>
<p>Given how many Cats will be on the board at a given time, they incrementally improve upon one another by adding keywords and stat bonuses. These generally range the various standard keywords across each of the colors, with vigilance and first strike and trample being some of the most common.</p>
<p>Further, many Cats provide specific utility value upon ETB or their death. This means they can then be used either for growth as a body on the battlefield or as a non-combatant utility piece, setting up other combos or Cats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Y&#039;shtola, Night&#039;s Blessed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kemba, Kha Enduring"></div></div>


<h3>Declawed</h3>
<p>Despite their abundance, Cats rarely have direct combat applicability. A few have decent power with vigilance or first strike to supplement it, particularly for catfolk and Cat Warriors.</p>
<p>Overwhelmingly, though, Cats have numbers and utility over combat abilities. This means that their greatest strength are those spells that provide a small benefit to every creature you control, maximizing its impact.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Raksha Golden Cub"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nethroi, Apex of Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kitt Kanto, Mayhem Diva"></div></div>
<h3>Explosive Growth</h3>
<p>Despite their ability to increase the power and utility of other creatures, Cats don't have much in the ways of dramatically boosting their combat performance. Most of their synergy with other Cats is based around creature token creation. To a lesser extent, utility such as card draw or life gain as applies.</p>
<p>There are a few exceptions to this, such as those that add +5/+5 to all creatures or provide a creature double strike. These aren't common enough to expect them consistently across turns, but there's enough of them to use liberally throughout the game to press advantages and respond to threats. It's just necessary to have enough to push through adversity and overcome the limitations of unempowered Cats.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaheera, the Orphanguard"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wasitora, Nekoru Queen"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ygra, Eater of All"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rin and Seri, Inseparable" href="#" target="_blank">Rin and Seri, Inseparable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rin and Seri, Inseparable"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rin and Seri, Inseparable" href="#" target="_blank">Rin and Seri, Inseparable</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the 41st most popular commander at the time of this guide's writing. That's due not only to supporting both Dog and Cat typal, but also granting a very well-rounded set of abilities for a commander.</p>
<p>Whenever you cast a Dog spell, create a 1/1 Cat. Whenever you cast a Cat spell, create a 1/1 Dog. These token generations aren't casting spells, meaning it doesn't stack on itself, though it can potentially double your creature output. Then for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Rin and Seri deals damage to any target equal to your number of Dogs and you gain life equal to your number of Cats.</p>
<p>This allows you to hit an opponent for decent ping damage, remove a single threat, or weaken a blocker prior to attacking all while sustaining your life total. Building off of the token generation grants additional incentives to cast more creatures which will naturally stack upon itself with their effects as you build a solid board state.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arahbo, Roar of the World" href="#" target="_blank">Arahbo, Roar of the World</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arahbo, Roar of the World"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arahbo, Roar of the World" href="#" target="_blank">Arahbo, Roar of the World</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has <em>Eminence,</em> a quite powerful keyword that grants an effect both while on the battlefield or while in your command zone. Arahbo's eminence ability grants another Cat you control +3/+3 at the beginning of combat on your turn.</p>
<p>Outside of that, Arahbo allows you to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> whenever another Cat you control attacks to grant it trample and +X/+X where X is its power. This can turn what is traditionally a quite middling creature type into a formidable beast for a turn. Not only can you do this multiple times per turn, but any amount of power increases from tokens or spells will increase the value of X, granting further value.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arahbo, the First Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Arahbo, the First Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arahbo, the First Fang"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arahbo, the First Fang" href="#" target="_blank">Arahbo, the First Fang</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants your other Cats +1/+1 and whenever Arahbo or another nontoken Cat ETB under your control, you create a 1/1 Cat. Which thanks to Arahbo is functionally a 2/2.</p>
<p>The useful thing about Arahbo is that it's entirely Cat-recursive. Casting Cats grants you Cats which means you can support more Cats, allowing for more focused deckbuilding. But additionally, this is whenever a Cat ETB. <em>Not</em> when you cast a Cat spell. This means any number of other effects up to and including graveyard reclamation will work with Arahbo's effect and give you additional 2/2 bodies.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Nacatl Pariah" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Nacatl Pariah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani, Nacatl Pariah"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Nacatl Pariah" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Nacatl Pariah</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an unimpressive 1/2 that ETB with a 2/1 Cat Warrior. However, upon one or more other Cats you control dying, you may exile Ajani and return him to the battlefield transformed as a planeswalker.</p>
<p>As the Nacatl Avenger, it gains the following abilities:</p>
<p><strong>+2.</strong> Put a +1/+1 counter on each Cat you control, which is great to build up a wide board of 1/1 tokens.</p>
<p><strong>0.</strong> Create a 2/1 Cat Warrior token and if you control a red permanent other than Ajani, it deals damage equal to the number of creatures you control to any target. As with most other Cat synergies, having lots of Cats leads to lots of effects, in this case damage.</p>
<p><strong>-4.</strong> Each opponent chooses an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker and sacrifices the rest. It's not quite a board wipe, but it certainly clears up the board state of your opponents. It still allows them to save their most valuable nonland permanent, but it also only costs four loyalty counters.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jinnie Fay, Jetmir&#039;s Second" href="#" target="_blank">Jinnie Fay, Jetmir&#039;s Second</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jinnie Fay, Jetmir&#039;s Second"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jinnie Fay, Jetmir&#039;s Second" href="#" target="_blank">Jinnie Fay, Jetmir&#039;s Second</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to replace any tokens you would generate with an equal number of 2/2 Cat tokens with haste or 3/1 Dog tokens with vigilance. This is useful for ensuring you can maintain a supply of Cats and can promote 1/1 Cat tokens with no keyword into a strict improvement.</p>
<p>But Jinnie Fay's real value comes from replacing noncreature token generation with creature token generation. Treasure, Food, Clues, and Blood are all common tokens that can be generated in vast quantities. Jinnie Fay allows you to simply skip ahead to where they grant you board presence, with the flexibility of a Cat or Dog based on circumstance.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist" href="#" target="_blank">Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/2 with first strike that limits the bandwidth of your opponents' combats. Whenever Mirri attacks, each opponent can't block with more than one creature this combat. And as long as Mirri is tapped, no more than one creature can attack you each combat.</p>
<p>This acts as a fantastic defensive measure that's just accessible-enough for your opponents to continue their strategies that it isn't their largest priority to remove. Against a swarm deck that rushes out hordes of creature tokens, this is a floodgate that stops them. And even against a deck prioritizing one or a handful of elite creatures, this ensures that your opponents have to commit their main resource to whatever combat you send their way.</p>
<p>And of course, with how numerous Cats are, the ability to rush past an opponents' blockers is incredibly useful.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jetmir, Nexus of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Jetmir, Nexus of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jetmir, Nexus of Revels"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jetmir, Nexus of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Jetmir, Nexus of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants a series of stacking benefits depending on how many creatures you control.</p>
<p>If you control three or more creatures, your creatures gain +1/+0 and gain vigilance. If six or more, they get an additional +1/+0 and trample. And at nine or more, they gain an additional +1/+0 and double strike. This means that with eight other creatures in addition to Jetmir, all of them have +3/+0 with vigilance, trample, and double strike.</p>
<p>Even with a series of 1/1 Cat tokens, that's eight 4/1 Cat tokens that don't tap when they attack and swing twice with trample. The main issue is maintaining that threshold of nine or more creatures, which isn't hard to reach but can be easy to lose if you're not careful with your creatures. The best way to maximize its value is to ensure you can always create more creatures and to avoid overcommitting in attacks.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marisi, Breaker of the Coil" href="#" target="_blank">Marisi, Breaker of the Coil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Marisi, Breaker of the Coil"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Marisi, Breaker of the Coil" href="#" target="_blank">Marisi, Breaker of the Coil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> makes it so that your opponents can't cast spells during combat. This applies to their turn as well as yours. And whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you goad each of their creatures. This forces them to attack on the opponent's next turn and target a player other than you, if able.</p>
<p>This requires dealing combat damage to an opponent, meaning it's unlikely you'll be able to trigger it against a well-guarded opponent. But with enough Cats, even a single 1/1 sneaking by their defenders allows you to goad their creatures. This is great for dealing damage to other opponents, but also forces trades and blocks that opponents might not have wanted to make. It's useful for thinning out opposition across the board while you build up your Cats to deal the real damage.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prowling Serpopard" href="#" target="_blank">Prowling Serpopard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prowling Serpopard"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prowling Serpopard" href="#" target="_blank">Prowling Serpopard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 4/3 that can't be countered and prevents your creature spells from being countered.</p>
<p>Being a 4/3 that costs <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and can't be countered is already a good inclusion for a Cat deck. But the ability to prevent countering to your other creature spells is what makes it so great to include. Outside of being standard protection, Cats require casting many creature spells. This comes with multiple opportunities for countering and disruption, lending greater value to protection from it.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaheera, the Orphanguard" href="#" target="_blank">Kaheera, the Orphanguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kaheera, the Orphanguard"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kaheera, the Orphanguard" href="#" target="_blank">Kaheera, the Orphanguard</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/2 with vigilance that grants each of your Cats, Elementals, Nightmares, Dinosaurs, and Beasts +1/+1 and vigilance. It also can act as a companion if your deck only has creature cards of those types.</p>
<p>Assuming you're only including Cats in your deck, a blanket +1/+1 and vigilance can provide much-needed value to 1/1 token generation. Particularly when paired with other Cat bonuses. The timing of this is important, though, given companion's restriction to being cast once. It's best used prior to an attack where you want to keep yourself defended, vigilance grants you that extra flexibility.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ocelot Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ocelot Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ocelot Pride"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ocelot Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ocelot Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 1/1 with first strike and lifelink. It also has ascend, which means you get the city's blessing upon controlling ten or more permanents. The city's blessing is a state you retain for the rest of the game.</p>
<p>Each of your end steps, you create a 1/1 Cat if you gained life that turn. Then you create a copy of each token that ETB this turn if you have the city's blessing. This leads to a ramping effect quite quickly, where your token generation can outpace the threats opponents raise against you so long as you can gain any amount of life on your turn. Lifelink from Ocelot Pride aside, that's trivially easy for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> decks.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esika&#039;s Chariot"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 4/4 Vehicle with crew 4 and an ETB effect to create two 2/2 Cat tokens. Crew 4 means that you can tap a number of creatures with power equal to or exceeding 4 to make this Vehicle become an artifact creature for the turn. Then whenever it attacks, Esika's Chariot creates a copy of a token you control.</p>
<p>With how many tokens you're able to produce with Cats, being able to add to that will give you multiple more Cat ETB triggers and enhance the size of your board. Each individual Cat token isn't likely to provide much value, but some may have keywords or have above-average statlines due to favorable source cards. These are the tokens to prioritize, which you can then improve further later.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Skullclamp"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Skullclamp" href="#" target="_blank">Skullclamp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants a single creature +1/-1 and whenever the equipped creature dies, you draw two cards. Because its equip cost is only <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, you can easily swap this between your own Cat tokens as needed. Given that most of your tokens generated will be 1/1, equipping this to a token will instantly destroy it, allowing you to draw two cards.</p>
<p>This doesn't work if you have anything to improve the toughness of your Cats, nor if you struggle to find the mana for it. It's a useful boost for card draw as needed, but isn't a long-term strategy by itself.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impact Tremors"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Impact Tremors" href="#" target="_blank">Impact Tremors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deals 1 damage to each opponent whenever a creature you control ETB. This has no limit, meaning the token generation of Cats can cause significant damage across the board simply by building its board.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Beastmaster Ascension"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Beastmaster Ascension" href="#" target="_blank">Beastmaster Ascension</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes the strength of numbers Cats have one step further, gaining a quest counter each time a creature you control attacks. So long as it has seven or more quest counters on it, your creatures get +5/+5.</p>
<p>Not only does it grow based off of the number of attacking creatures regardless of power, it also provides the most benefit to low-power tokens. If attacking with seven or more 1/1 tokens, the quest counters get added to Beastmaster Ascension upon attack declarations. This then would grant all of these easily-produced tokens +5/+5, potentially the same turn it was played.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warleader&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Warleader&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Warleader&#039;s Call"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Warleader&#039;s Call" href="#" target="_blank">Warleader&#039;s Call</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> takes both of the above examples and combines them into a +1/+1 for all of your creatures paired with 1 damage to each opponent each time a creature you control ETB.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Sun&#039;s Zenith" href="#" target="_blank">White Sun&#039;s Zenith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="White Sun&#039;s Zenith"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Sun&#039;s Zenith" href="#" target="_blank">White Sun&#039;s Zenith</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> creates X 2/2 Cat tokens, where X is part of its mana cost. While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is a fairly steep fixed cost before contributing to the X value, White Sun's Zenith gets shuffled back into its owner's library after being cast.</p>
<p>It isn't ideal to cast White Sun's Zenith where X is one or two or even three. This is a card that requires investment to properly get value from, though being shuffled back into the library means it doesn't have to be. Casting White Sun's Zenith with X being a low number isn't a bad decision, it just tends not be worth the mana spent.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titanic Ultimatum" href="#" target="_blank">Titanic Ultimatum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Titanic Ultimatum"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Titanic Ultimatum" href="#" target="_blank">Titanic Ultimatum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants all of your creatures +5/+5 and first strike, lifelink, and trample until end of turn. This is across <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, where most Cats fall, and supports their strategy of boosting weak creatures en masse.</p>
<p>Its largest downside is its cost which has no in-built reduction, but it's most effective in the late game anyways. By that point, you'll have both the Cats and the mana production to be able to activate it when you're ready.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lord Windgrace"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lord Windgrace" href="#" target="_blank">Lord Windgrace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> begins with five loyalty counters and has the following abilities:</p>
<p><strong>+2.</strong> Discard a card, then draw a card or two cards if a land card was discarded. This gives consistent card draw while allowing you to remove lands you don't need from your hand, particularly later in the game.</p>
<p><strong>-3.</strong> Return up to two land cards from your graveyard to the battlefield, providing even more incentive to discard lands with its +2 ability.</p>
<p><strong>-11.</strong> Destroy up to six nonland permanents, then create six 2/2 Cat Warrior tokens with forestwalk. This both clears your opponents' key permanents and gives you a decent boost to your board. Lord Windgrace's +2 is useful enough to be used every turn, so this is a natural activation should your opponents not have a response.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Caller of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Caller of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani, Caller of the Pride"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, Caller of the Pride" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, Caller of the Pride</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> begins with four loyalty counters and has the following abilities:</p>
<p><strong>+1.</strong> Put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature. While useful, it doesn't scale with what Cats are attempting to do as well as multi-target counters.</p>
<p><strong>-3.</strong> Target creature gains flying and double strike until end of turn. This, however, is very useful, particularly for anything with lifelink that can gain your life or that has an ability triggered off of dealing damage to an opponent. It's not a guaranteed direct attack, but an effective threat.</p>
<p><strong>-8.</strong> Create X 2/2 Cat tokens, where X is your life total.</p>
<p>This can absolutely flood the board, particularly if you were able to gain life from a flying double strike creature on a previous turn. And when paired with any amount of power improvements, 2/2 creature tokens are no joke! But they're vulnerable to board wipes and removal, so timing is critical.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, the Greathearted" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, the Greathearted</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ajani, the Greathearted"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ajani, the Greathearted" href="#" target="_blank">Ajani, the Greathearted</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> begins with five loyalty counters and has the following abilities:</p>
<p>All of your creatures have vigilance.</p>
<p><strong>+1.</strong> You gain three life.</p>
<p><strong>-2.</strong> Put a +1/+1 on each creature you control and a loyalty counter on each other planeswalker you control.</p>
<p>This not only scales your Cats much faster than something like Ajani, Caller of the Pride but also makes planeswalkers like that much easier to reach the ultimates of. This doesn't quite double the loyalty counter gain of other planeswalkers due to it not being able to be used every turn, but it very nearly halves the time to reach a planeswalker's ultimate.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animal Sanctuary" href="#" target="_blank">Animal Sanctuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Animal Sanctuary"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animal Sanctuary" href="#" target="_blank">Animal Sanctuary</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and tap it to put a +1/+1 counter on a Bird, Cat, Dog, Goat, Ox, or Snake. This is an effective means of spending spare mana you might have at the end of your turn. As a land it's consistent and protective, meaning it can support your creatures throughout the entire game.</p>
<p>It's cheap enough it can be used early and scales continuously. It just gets outpaced later in the game.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gavony Township" href="#" target="_blank">Gavony Township</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gavony Township"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gavony Township" href="#" target="_blank">Gavony Township</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and tap it to put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control. This is a more expensive but more broadly-applicable buffing piece to enhance your Cats all at once.</p>
<p>With how many creature tokens you'll have on the board, it's worth it.</p>


<p>Cats want to establish token generation with a large number of Cats that you can then build off of one another.</p>
<p>Using a lynchpin creature like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bast, Panther Goddess" href="#" target="_blank">Bast, Panther Goddess</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the scale of your battlefield directly increases the power and toughness of one of your creatures. This then synergizes with a creature like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sovereign Okinec Ahau" href="#" target="_blank">Sovereign Okinec Ahau</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> who can increase the power of your Cats based on the difference in power between then. Then a support ability such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jetmir, Nexus of Revels" href="#" target="_blank">Jetmir, Nexus of Revels</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can grant all of these creatures additional power or keywords such as trample to ensure damage goes through.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bast, Panther Goddess"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sovereign Okinec Ahau"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jetmir, Nexus of Revels"></div></div>


<p>Going "tall" with Cats and improving upon a single large creature isn't always a bad option.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nethroi, Apex of Death" href="#" target="_blank">Nethroi, Apex of Death</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has deathtouch, lifelink, and mutate, allowing it to gain additional abilities from other mutate creatures you cast. This gives graveyard reclamation each time you mutate, allowing you to have a strong <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-aligned sacrifice deck when paired with utility Cats such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nine-Lives Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Nine-Lives Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Any number of effects that trigger from a creature dying can be prioritized from here, such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nethroi, Apex of Death"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nine-Lives Familiar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Artist"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ygra, Eater of All" href="#" target="_blank">Ygra, Eater of All</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is alternate way to build up a single creature by creating and sacrificing Food tokens. Something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lucky the Pizza Dog" href="#" target="_blank">Lucky the Pizza Dog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can synergize this with casting Cat spells and a creature like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cauldron Familiar" href="#" target="_blank">Cauldron Familiar</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can add a bit more utility to Food tokens. The life gain from sacrificing them will sustain you throughout the game as Ygra is built up and you can use other Cats as blockers or sacrifice fodder.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ygra, Eater of All"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lucky the Pizza Dog"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cauldron Familiar"></div></div>


Cats in Commander

EDHREC Guide to Cats in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramses, Assassin Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Ramses, Assassin Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.manuelcastanon.com/">Manuel Castañón</a></em></span></p>
<p><a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/assassins">Assassins</a> are a persistent archetype in fantasy, in no small part due to their prevalence in history! They've been at the centerpiece of plots both real and imagined, overthrowing world orders and taking lives with ruthless efficiency.</p>
<p>But how do you play Assassins in Commander? What are Assassins' strengths and weaknesses? And how do you win with Assassins in Commander?</p>
<p>This EDHREC Guide is here to answer all of these questions.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/assassins-guide-worded.png

<p>Assassins have existed in <em>Magic</em> since <em>Alpha</em> with the fittingly-named <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Royal Assassin" href="#" target="_blank">Royal Assassin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And this first card really painted the picture for what Assassins would look like for years to come!</p>
<p>While some splash <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-ub" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and they can be found in every color, Assassins are overwhelming <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. They tend to have low power and toughness but some ability to destroy other creatures, be it deathtouch, wither, or an activated ability that destroys the creatures directly.</p>
<p>Others are unblockable or have a form of protection such as hexproof or shroud.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Big Game Hunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aven Heartstabber"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Callidus Assassin"></div></div>
<p>Assassins got their largest shift in the <em>Assassin's Creed</em> Universes Beyond set, tying in the Assassin's Creed universe alongside a number of its characters.</p>
<p>These included a fair bit of cross-type support for Pirates as well as the freerunning keyword. This allows you to cast a spell for a reduced cost if you dealt combat damage to a player that turn with an Assassin or commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Edward Kenway"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kassandra, Eagle Bearer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hookblade Veteran"></div></div>
<p>In <em>Outlaws of Thunder Junction,</em> Assassins were batched into being an "Outlaw" alongside Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks. References to Outlaws therefore affect Assassins, though 'Assassin' is still a creature type distinct from other Outlaws.</p>


<h3>Assassinating</h3>
<p>As their name implies, Assassins are adept at taking lives. In particular, they have just about every way to perform targeted creature removal in the game.</p>
<p>Most Assassins don't have the ability to affect multiple targets at once or exile permanents, though some do. Deathtouch is the main form this comes in, though they employ everything from wither to abilities that destroy a creature directly.</p>
<p>There are even Assassins that allow you to strip protective keywords such as indestructible and hexproof from your opponents' creatures, to ensure the hit goes through. Then, other Assassins give you benefits for destroying them.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nekrataal"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shay Cormac"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mari, the Killing Quill"></div></div>
<h3>Avoiding Combat</h3>
<p>Most Assassins prefer to avoid combat in some capacity, either by being unblockable, possessing menace, or providing value from non-combat abilities. Some also have protective keywords such as hexproof or shroud. A few even have keywords such as disguise, allowing them to be cast face down and only revealed at a later time.</p>
<p>Assassins then benefit from dealing direct damage to an opponent, drawing cards or creating Treasure tokens or creating Assassin tokens. They provide their maximum value through bypassing your opponents' defenses and striking directly. This may also involve opening up their defensive line to allow for other creatures to ignore blockers.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etrata, the Silencer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jacob Frye"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Unstoppable Slasher"></div></div>
<h3>Cheap to Hire</h3>
<p>Assassins might have a reputation for high costs, but in <em>Magic</em> they're actually quite cheap. They tend not to have a converted mana cost of more than <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, even named legendary characters or high-impact commanders.</p>
<p>There are certainly some Assassins that are more expensive or whose activated abilities require a large amount of mana, but they tend towards immediate value at a repeatable cost. These dirty deeds done dirt cheap allow for a good number of Assassins to enter the battlefield at a time, dismantling an opponent's defensive strategy and attacking directly.</p>
<p>Or spreading the removal around and ensuring no one opponent gets too strong.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Assassin Initiate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hired Poisoner"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guildsworn Prowler"></div></div>


<h3>Full Force</h3>
<p>Assassins prefer to skulk along the sidelines, meaning they struggle at head-to-head combat with an opponent. A particularly aggressive aggro deck or even just a big creature with trample will slam into an Assassin's field. Due to their statlines, Assassins can't really defend against that!</p>
<p>Of course, Assassins can respond by removing particular threats. And the ability to remove threats begets the ability to use that as a negotiation tactic to avoid incoming attacks in the first place.</p>
<p>While decks composed primarily of Assassins can't withstand a full-frontal assault, they can certainly make it costly-enough for opponents to think twice.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roshan, Hidden Magister"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thraximundar"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Massacre Girl"></div></div>
<h3>Protection from Black</h3>
<p>Many Assassins range in colors, with a good number of them being only <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. However, the vast majority of Assassins are either <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> or involve it in a multicolor spread.</p>
<p>Any degree of protection from black really hurts Assassins' abilities, given their conditional indestructibility. But you should have enough non-<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Assassins to respond to such threats. You'll just need to pivot around them instead of dealing with them head-on, much like an Assassin.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arbaaz Mir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aveline de Grandpré"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brotherhood Spy"></div></div>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio Auditore da Firenze" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio Auditore da Firenze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ezio Auditore da Firenze"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio Auditore da Firenze" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio Auditore da Firenze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/2 Assassin with menace who grants all of your Assassins freerunning <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. Freerunning N is a keyword that allows you to cast a spell for N mana if you dealt combat damage to a player that turn with an Assassin or commander.</p>
<p>Even your more expensive Assassins can be cast for cheap, given how easy it is for your other creatures to attack an opponent directly.</p>
<p>You can also spend <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> upon Ezio dealing combat damage to a player who has 10 or less life. If you do, they lose the game.</p>
<p>Not only does this allow Ezio as a commander to count for every color, it gives a great way to take out an opponent a few turns earlier than anticipated. Assassins have a myriad of ways to grant their creatures a means of becoming unblockable and protected, meaning Ezio can build out your board with freerun Assassins before safely going for the kill.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad" href="#" target="_blank">Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad" href="#" target="_blank">Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/3 with first strike, giving it a fantastic synergy with anything granting deathtouch. And even without, any improvement to power makes Altaïr an incredible striker to take out mid-range creatures.</p>
<p>Whenever Altaïr attacks, you may exile up to one Assassin from your graveyard and place a memory counter on it. Then, for each exiled creature you own with a memory counter, you create an attacking token copy that's exiled at the end of combat.</p>
<p>Altaïr specializes in alpha-strikes, where a single combat can overwhelm an opponent. Though Altaïr needs a few attack activations to set up the memory counters, its effect triggers on attack, meaning so long as you can survive to combat you can build the effect. Then it's a matter of exiling select Assassins that have decent power or deathtouch, thinning out defenders and dealing solid damage.</p>
<p>As a bonus, this temporary swarm of Assassins triggers any freerunning effects you have!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etrata, Deadly Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Etrata, Deadly Fugitive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etrata, Deadly Fugitive"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etrata, Deadly Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Etrata, Deadly Fugitive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 1/4 with deathtouch that cloaks the top card of your opponent's library upon dealing combat damage to them. To cloak a card, it's placed face-down as a 2/2 with ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. This allows you to build your board when dealing damage to an opponent, even stealing their creatures for your own should you be able to pay their mana cost.</p>
<p>What if you cloak a noncreature spell, like an instant or sorcery?</p>
<p>Etrata grants all your face-down creatures the ability to be turned face up for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>. If the creature can't be turned face up, such as through not being a creature spell, it's instead exiled and cast from exile for free. This means you can get value out of just about anything you're cloaking from an opponent's library, with even lands being able to provide limited value as a 2/2 creature with ward <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramses, Assassin Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Ramses, Assassin Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramses, Assassin Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Ramses, Assassin Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 4/4 with deathtouch who grants other Assassins you control +1/+1. And it comes with the unique alternate win condition that if you attack an opponent with an Assassin and they lose the game that turn, you win the game.</p>
<p>This doesn't need to be that they lost the game via combat damage, this simply requires an Assassin to have attacked them. Poison counters, mill, and creatures such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio Auditore da Firenze" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio Auditore da Firenze</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> mean that you don't even need to reduce the opponent to zero life. So long as you have a means of ensuring an opponent loses, you can throw an Assassin at them to ensure your victory.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edward Kenway" href="#" target="_blank">Edward Kenway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edward Kenway" href="#" target="_blank">Edward Kenway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 5/5 that creates a Treasure token for each tapped Assassin, Pirate, and/or Vehicle you control on your end step. And whenever a Vehicle you control deals combat damage to a player, you can exile the top card of their library and play it as long as it remains exiled.</p>
<p>Notably, this doesn't specify you can cast the spell by spending mana of any color, meaning you need to rely on your Treasure generation to ensure you can continue playing exiled cards. This reinforces an active, forward-moving playstyle where all of your creatures should be consistently on the offensive both to eliminate opponents' blockers as well as have tapped creatures to make more Treasures.</p>
<p>Edward itself is a fairly expensive commander, at least for Assassins. So it's very important to get at least a few Treasures out early so you can accommodate that commander tax should it be removed.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio, Blade of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio, Blade of Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio, Blade of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio, Blade of Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 5/5 with deathtouch that allows you to draw a card whenever an Assassin you control deals combat damage to a player.</p>
<p>This iteration of Ezio is very straightforward and is good at what Assassins want to be good at, namely killing creatures and dealing direct damage. With just a little bit of support to either grant it first strike, hexproof, or menace, Ezio will put in a significant amount of work.</p>
<p>This isn't a centerpiece of the deck in the same way a lot of other Assassin commanders are; this is a solid Assassin you can complement by implementing really any strategy Assassins lend themselves to. Not only does that lead to more creative deckbuilding, but it also obscures your intentions until you start playing.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Queen Marchesa" href="#" target="_blank">Queen Marchesa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/3 with deathtouch and haste who has an enter the battlefield (ETB) effect to become the monarch. As the monarch, you draw an additional card during your end step but any other player can become the monarch by dealing combat damage to you.</p>
<p>Marchesa accounts for this by creating a 1/1 Assassin with deathtouch and haste on your upkeep if an opponent is the monarch. Not only does this mean you'll have a contingency for should someone become the monarch, it also means you can trigger other effects.</p>
<p>With Marchesa, you either get additional card draw or additional deathtouch tokens. For Assassins who are so cheap, both are good options! Retaining the monarch position is ideal, but you aren't punished by losing it.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratonhnhaké꞉ton" href="#" target="_blank">Ratonhnhaké꞉ton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratonhnhaké꞉ton" href="#" target="_blank">Ratonhnhaké꞉ton</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 3/3 who has hexproof and is unable to be blocked, though those both only apply so long as it hasn't dealt damage yet. This means that Ratonhnhaké꞉ton is a perfect candidate for applying +1/+1 counters and power bonuses to, given its effective removal from interaction with the board until you field it in combat.</p>
<p>Once Ratonhnhaké꞉ton deals damage to a player, it creates a 1/1 Assassin with menace and returns an Equipment card from your graveyard to the battlefield attached to the token. Menace on a 1/1 that triggers effects based on dealing combat damage to opponents opens doors even before supplementing them with Equipment cards. These can be stat increases, though provide the most value off of keywords that synergize with menace such as deathtouch or abilities that trigger upon dealing combat damage to an opponent.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Royal Assassin" href="#" target="_blank">Royal Assassin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Royal Assassin" href="#" target="_blank">Royal Assassin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can tap to destroy a tapped creature. This has no mana cost, meaning so long as an opponent activates their mana producers or attacks with a big creature, they have left themselves vulnerable. And because it's only a 1/1, there isn't a reason to attack with it or tap it otherwise.</p>
<p>This also triggers effects such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edward Kenway" href="#" target="_blank">Edward Kenway</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, allowing you to generate Treasure off of your now-tapped Assassin.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evie Frye" href="#" target="_blank">Evie Frye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evie Frye" href="#" target="_blank">Evie Frye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can tap for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to draw a card and then discard a card. If you discard a creature card this way, a creature you control of your choice can't be blocked this turn.</p>
<p>This provides the ability to turn any of your Assassins unblockable for a turn, which with how many triggers are dependent upon dealing combat damage to an opponent is a big deal! This is a cheap means of drawing cards and, should you have any means of graveyard retrieval through spells such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad" href="#" target="_blank">Altaïr Ibn-La&#039;Ahad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it sets those up.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Girl, Known Killer" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Girl, Known Killer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Massacre Girl, Known Killer" href="#" target="_blank">Massacre Girl, Known Killer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a 4/4 with menace who grants all of your creatures wither. Whenever they deal damage to a creature, that creature receives a -1/-1 counter. A creature reduced to zero toughness dies, and Massacre Girl allows you to draw a card each time this happens.</p>
<p>Wither across all of your creatures is a very powerful keyword to impart when put together with how oriented around creature-destruction Assassins are. Card draw helps fill your hand with additional cheap Assassins, though it does discourage you from directly destroying creatures without combat damage. This is a good problem to have, but is a consideration to make when you balance a quick <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cut Down" href="#" target="_blank">Cut Down</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> vs withering away their toughness.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haystack" href="#" target="_blank">Haystack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Haystack" href="#" target="_blank">Haystack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to tap it and pay <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-2" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to phase out a creature you control. This means the creature and anything attached to it is treated as if they don't exist until your next turn.</p>
<p>This is a great way to protect your Assassins that otherwise are vulnerable to targeting from your opponents. You have to time it right and are limited to once per round, but it can allow you to take an aggressive play without leaving one of your load-bearing Assassins vulnerable. Alternatively, you can just use it to generally keep a creature safe from a threat you know is coming, such as a board wipe.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hidden Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Hidden Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hidden Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Hidden Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is attached to a creature upon entering the battlefield, granting it +1/+0 and first strike. If it's attached to an Assassin, they gain death-strike until end of turn.</p>
<p>The fact it has flash grants a quite effective first strike and deathtouch combo for any of your Assassins, most useful for baiting out an attack from a creature you otherwise are struggling to deal with. Alternatively, you can use it offensively to swing into a blocker the opponent would prefer not to lose and take them out.</p>
<p>This attacking strategy has the added benefit of rewarding your more aggressive Assassins, potentially intimidating an opponent into allowing you to bypass their blockers entirely.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assassin Gauntlet" href="#" target="_blank">Assassin Gauntlet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assassin Gauntlet" href="#" target="_blank">Assassin Gauntlet</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> immediately attaches to a creature upon entering the battlefield and then taps all creatures an opponent controls. That attached creatures gains +1/+1 and allows you to draw a card and then discard a card upon dealing combat damage to a player.</p>
<p>This further cements your benefits from dealing combat damage to a player while also opening up a significant opportunity to strike. Not only will you be drawing a card from the Gauntlet's effect, but any of your other Assassins that have similar triggers will have an available attack.</p>
<p>The Gauntlet can then be equipped to a different Assassin on future turns to best utilize its player-damage ability.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rooftop Bypass" href="#" target="_blank">Rooftop Bypass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rooftop Bypass" href="#" target="_blank">Rooftop Bypass</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to create a 1/1 Assassin with menace upon dealing combat damage to a player. This doesn't trigger via token damage, but it allows you to have a consistent buildup of creature tokens that can fill out your board.</p>
<p>With menace, they're quite useful at absorbing blockers when attacking en masse and can be paired with deathtouch to clear them out. They can also be used as a defensive backline or sacrifice fodder. The generation just requires consistent noncombat aggression on your part.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Market Connections" href="#" target="_blank">Black Market Connections</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> grants you the ability to lose one life and create a Treasure, lose two life and draw a card, and/or lose three life and create a 3/2 Shapeshifter with changeling. Changeling allows the Shapeshifter to be every creature type, including Assassin.</p>
<p>You can choose all or one of these on your first main phase of each turn, granting you a great variety of mana generation, card draw, or token creation. The life loss will add up quickly if you use more than one at a time, but with any Equipment or stat improvements a 3/2 Assassin will be a useful creature to have. Even more so should you field multiple.</p>
<p>Card draw will be your most versatile option, with creating a Treasure token being useful to help facilitate that.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Revelations of Ezio" href="#" target="_blank">The Revelations of Ezio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Revelations of Ezio"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Revelations of Ezio" href="#" target="_blank">The Revelations of Ezio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a saga, progressing through each phase after each of your draw steps. It begins by destroying a tapped creature, then progresses to putting a +1/+1 counter on any of your Assassins which attack that turn, before closing on returning an Assassin from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter.</p>
<p>Assassins don't have much native stat improvement, which makes the second ability of the saga particularly useful if you can get a healthy board state. The third allows you to reclaim a powerful Assassin you may have lost, though if you've yet to lose one then it's entirely reasonably to reclaim a low-cost Assassin.</p>
<p>The +1/+1 counter is less important than the reclamation, though can still push a low-toughness Assassin above a gate such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite" href="#" target="_blank">Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Assassination" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Assassination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Assassination" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Assassination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to destroy a creature and then draw a card if another creature died this turn. An additional benefit of it is that Chain Assassination has freerunning <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, making it a very affordable creature destruction spell after successfully attacking an opponent with an Assassin.</p>
<p>While it can be used any time, its greatest value comes after combat on your turn, to hit that cost-reduction. However, it can act as an emergency intervention should you need to eliminate a priority target on their turn. In such cases, you can block or sacrifice a weak creature to trigger the card-draw effect.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desynchronization" href="#" target="_blank">Desynchronization</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desynchronization" href="#" target="_blank">Desynchronization</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> returns each nonland permanent that isn't historic to its owner's hand. Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are all historic, meaning your Equipment and most of your notable Assassins will be fine.</p>
<p>This is best used when you're at risk by an opponent and need to clear their board, even if only temporarily. The same is true in casting it prior to attacking with one or more legendary Assassins, removing most or all of your opponents' blockers.</p>
<p>But it also has application on returning your own Assassins to your hand to retrigger their ETB effects.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restart Sequence" href="#" target="_blank">Restart Sequence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restart Sequence" href="#" target="_blank">Restart Sequence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield, with a reduced freerunning cost of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>
<p>This allows flexibility in how you treat your Assassins, since reclaiming them from the graveyard for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is trivial. You can make more aggressive attacks to ensure you hit an opponent directly or bait out removal from an opponent on your own terms.</p>
<p>All you need to do is be able to hit an opponent directly after the fact.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> begins with four loyalty counters and has the following abilities:</p>
<p>+2. Sorin deals two damage to a creature or player and you gain two life. This is not only good removal for low-toughness creatures or ping damage on players, but it also ensures you'll be able to pay life costs for various spells you want to cast. Life is a resource to be spent, but Assassins don't have many ways to reclaim it.</p>
<p>-3. An opponent's life total becomes 10, which allows you to more easily rush them down to zero. Or you could pair this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio, Blade of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio, Blade of Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in order to ensure an easy defeat, which is why it's so often included in Ezio decks.</p>
<p>-7. You control another player's next turn, which can be absolutely devastating. Sorin grants you the ability to ruin an opponent's gameplan, but that's the sort of ultimate ability that most players will make sure to respond to prior to its activation. It's powerful, and therefore it's a threat.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vraska the Unseen" href="#" target="_blank">Vraska the Unseen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vraska the Unseen"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vraska the Unseen" href="#" target="_blank">Vraska the Unseen</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> begins with five loyalty counters and has the following abilities:</p>
<p>+1. Until your next turn, creatures that deal combat damage to Vraska are destroyed. This is a good protective measure to allow it to gain in loyalty counters relatively uninterrupted, though doesn't provide protection against targeted removal or expendable tokens.</p>
<p>-3. Destroy a nonland permanent, which is incredibly versatile in its use-cases. It synergizes with Assassin abilities and furthers your ability to oppress an opponent's board state.</p>
<p>-7. Create three 1/1 black Assassins that, when they deal combat damage to a player, cause them to lose the game. You'll have plenty of ways of making creatures unblockable and have the means to eliminate defenders, meaning this should be a slam dunk if you pull it off. They don't have haste and have no protection, so you'll be a target following their creation. You need to be able to respond should an opponent attempt to remove them.</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dihada, Binder of Wills" href="#" target="_blank">Dihada, Binder of Wills</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
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<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dihada, Binder of Wills" href="#" target="_blank">Dihada, Binder of Wills</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> begins with five loyalty counters and has the following abilities:</p>
<p>+2. One legendary creature gains vigilance, lifelink, and indestructible until your next turn. This ensures that your most valuable Assassins remain on the board, while simultaneously keeping them active as a blocker upon their attack. With how aggressive Assassins like to be, this gives you a bit more room to breathe after an attack.</p>
<p>-3. You look at the top four cards of your library, putting any number of legendary cards into your hand. The others go in your graveyard and you create a Treasure token for each card put in the graveyard this way. This means you'll be able to pay the cost of your legendary Assassins, which not only are your most powerful creatures but also are historic and synergize with other spells.</p>
<p>-11. Gain control of all nonland permanents until end of turn, untapping them and granting them haste. This is another ultimate which can win games, but as such is a major threat for any opponent who is paying attention. It's often not worth pursuing this as Dihada's primary contribution to your board, instead building up its loyalty and activating abilities based on what makes sense in the moment rather than pursuing an ambitious one-turn win.</p>


<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allows you to tap it for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to have a creature be unable to be blocked this turn. Paired with all of Assassins' abilities that trigger on dealing combat damage to an opponent, that turns them from conditional into guarantees!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Access Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Access Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Access Tunnel"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Access Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Access Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a similar story, tapping for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-3" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and giving the same ability to a creature with power three or less. It's slightly cheaper at the cost of being slightly more restrictive, but most Assassins have a power falling under that range.</p>
<p>Their main value doesn't come from direct damage but ability activation. And having both Passage and Tunnel allow for even more ability triggers, at a fairly steep cost of <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-7" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>.</p>


<p>Assassins want to attack an opponent without dealing with their blockers. They might be unblockable, have menace, fear, or flying, or even tap opponents' creatures to allow for easy attacks.</p>
<p>What Assassins want to avoid is a battle of attrition or one where they get caught actually fighting other creatures. Most Assassins will lose any combat with another creature, though they may have deathtouch to ward off opponents from trying.</p>
<p>Aggressive, probing attacks where weak Assassins draw the attention of blockers and slip past defenders is the main strategy. Eliminate key targets with targeted removal, hit the opponent to trigger ability activations, then retreat. This will leave you vulnerable, but ideally you'll have disrupted their strategy and board enough that it won't matter.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vihaan, Goldwaker"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Basim Ibn Ishaq"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desmond Miles"></div></div>


<p>There are a variety of ways to win with Assassins, most commonly in effects that blanketly make an opponent lose the game. This won't win you the game automatically in Commander, unless you have a creature such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramses, Assassin Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Ramses, Assassin Lord</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>If you have Ramses on the board, if an opponent loses the game and you attacked them with an Assassin, you win the game. This could be <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio, Blade of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio, Blade of Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s ability or transferring ownership of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Archfiend of the Dross" href="#" target="_blank">Archfiend of the Dross</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to an opponent before its counters run out.</p>
<p>No matter the method, all that matters is being able to attack them with an Assassin that same turn with Ramses on the board.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ramses, Assassin Lord"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ezio, Blade of Vengeance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Archfiend of the Dross"></div></div>
<p>You can also leverage life-manipulating abilities such as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sorin Markov" href="#" target="_blank">Sorin Markov</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s second ability, making an opponent's life total become 10. This then can combo into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ezio, Blade of Vengeance" href="#" target="_blank">Ezio, Blade of Vengeance</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, though your opponent will be able to prepare for this should Ezio be your commander.</p>
<p>As Ezio is both <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, you could include <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hidetsugu&#039;s Second Rite" href="#" target="_blank">Hidetsugu&#039;s Second Rite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a contingency to allow for the same synergy with Sorin without signposting Ezio. Or you can pair it with unblockable Assassins who finish them the old-fashioned way on an expedited timetable.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ezio Auditore da Firenze"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sorin Markov"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hidetsugu&#039;s Second Rite"></div></div>


Assassins in Commander

EDHREC Guide to Assassins in Commander

Recross the Paths - Building a Slivers/Assassins Deck With Rukarumel Biologist

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restart Sequence" href="#" target="_blank">Restart Sequence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/liesetiawan">Lie Setiawan</a>)</h6>
<h3><a href="https://commandersherald.com/assassins-creed-set-review-white/">White</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/assassins-creed-set-review-blue/?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article_preview">Blue</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/assassins-creed-set-review-black/?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article_preview">Black</a> | <a href="https://commandersherald.com/assassins-creed-set-review-red/">Red</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/assassins-creed-set-review-green/">Green</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/assassins-creed-set-review-artifacts-lands/">Artifacts &amp; Lands</a> | <a href="https://commandersherald.com/assassins-creed-set-review-allied-shards/">Allied Colors and Shards</a> | <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/assassins-creed-set-review-enemy-and-wedges/">Enemy Colors and Wedges</a> | <a href="https://commandersherald.com/assassins-creed-set-review-reprints/">Reprints</a> | <a href="https://commandersherald.com/assassins-creed-cedh-set-review/">cEDH</a></h3>
<h2>Nothing is True, Everything is.. meh</h2>
<p>Hello and welcome back to yet another set review! It's been so long since we had spoilers (by the time you're reading this, it's been 18 days since my <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/modern-horizons-3-set-review-enemies-wedges/">last set review</a>), I was beginning to think that maybe <em>Wizards</em> was in need of medical assistance. With only twelve new black cards, this is going to be a short review, so I have the space to give you a quick history of my torrid love affair with <em>Assassin's Creed:</em></p>
<p>When the first installment in the franchise came out, I was so excited. Such a unique game for its time. If you want to learn more about why, my friend Riley co-hosts an <a href="https://linktr.ee/goddamngamecube?fbclid=IwAR17mOH9XCFULgmaSSa7KJ0W_JnAAgt7HHAK6I1jJ7KpAWPF1G_KmCpDYVU">excellent gaming podcast</a>, with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu2ESuk-fro">specific episode</a> about <em>Assassin's Creed</em>. Anyway, then they decided to split the second installment into three games, and I lost interest. I didn't even play <em>Assassin's Creed III</em> (or is it five?) and I moved off the franchise entirely. My interest came screaming back with <em>Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, </em>which focuses on my favorite place and time in history: early 1700s Caribbean, with all the Pirate-y goodness you could want. Then we got a new and (I'm guessing) mediocre game seemingly every year after that and I just couldn't keep up.</p>
<p>Why is that relevant? Well, when they announced the <em>Universes Beyond </em>crossover, I was very excited (<em>Assassin's Creed</em>) then got distracted by other stuff (<em>Assassin's Creed II and III</em>), then I got excited again by spoiler season (<em>Black Flag</em>) and now that I see what's in the set, it's all mediocre to me (all the rest). It's exactly like my experience with the video games, so I guess the crossover works in that regard. So let's get into these black cards, and fair warning: it won't be as upbeat as my set reviews usually are.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Mythics</h2>
<hr />
<p>No mythics to look at in black, which is the best foreshadowing I could ask for.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Rares</h2>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Desmond Miles" href="#" target="_blank">Desmond Miles</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desmond Miles"></div></div>
<p>Our singular rare is at least a character I recognize. Desmond's obvious home is next to cards that care about surveilling, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dimir Spybug" href="#" target="_blank">Dimir Spybug</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirko, Obsessive Theorist" href="#" target="_blank">Mirko, Obsessive Theorist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Mirko is the head of an entire <a href="https://edhrec.com/precon/revenant-recon/mirko-obsessive-theorist">surveil-based precon</a>, so Desmond might deserve a look if you're making changes. Unless he's your commander and you've built around both parts of the card, the Assassin text is most probably irrelevant. Having said that, I can imagine him at the head of a black <a href="https://edhrec.com/themes/voltron">Voltron</a> deck that can make Desmond gigantic and take people out of the game while taking advantage of self-mill and reanimator cards. Losing out on blue for Equipment AND surveil synergies hurts that game plan, but it could certainly be tried.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Uncommons &amp; Commons</h2>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assassin Initiate" href="#" target="_blank">Assassin Initiate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Assassin Initiate"></div></div>
<p>This wouldn't be a terrible card to go into the aforementioned Desmond deck, since its activated ability can compliment any Auras or Equipment you're sticking on it. You also wouldn't mind milling it, because it's a terrible draw later in the game.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Brotherhood Ambushers" href="#" target="_blank">Brotherhood Ambushers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brotherhood Ambushers"></div></div>
<p>Here's our first instance of freerunning, and it could be zero mana and I'm still not putting this card in my deck. Vanilla 6/3s aren't good in commander at any point outside of caring about high power, so maybe I could see this in a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride" href="#" target="_blank">Ribbit Rodeo</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> deck, but you can refer to <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/brew-for-your-buck-gitrog-ravenous-ride-on-a-budget/">my article</a> for much better inclusions. NEXT!</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chain Assassination" href="#" target="_blank">Chain Assassination</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chain Assassination"></div></div>
<p>Chain Assassination is a good design for freerunning. If you can trade off a few creatures in combat while your commander sneaks through, you've got a cantripping <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Infernal Grasp" href="#" target="_blank">Infernal Grasp</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> without the life loss. It's less exciting at four mana, but since it's an instant, you can kill something and draw a card on an opponent's turn if you've got the mana up. Its floor is a four mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murder" href="#" target="_blank">Murder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Not ideal, but as we will see, this is one of the better cards in the list.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hemlock Vial" href="#" target="_blank">Hemlock Vial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hemlock Vial"></div></div>
<p>A black cantripping artifact that would be a borderline card in Limited. The only interesting thing about this card is that it gives your Equipment deathtouch. If you turn your Equipment into creatures with something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyberdrive Awakener" href="#" target="_blank">Cyberdrive Awakener</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or your deck is filled with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Viridian Longbow" href="#" target="_blank">Viridian Longbow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s and friends, I guess you could include this? <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kelsien, the Plague" href="#" target="_blank">Kelsien, the Plague</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a cool commander...</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Petty Larceny" href="#" target="_blank">Petty Larceny</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Petty Larceny"></div></div>
<p>This is pretty bad unless you're paying the freerunning cost, in which case it's a draw two from not your own deck and it refunds you a Treasure. Theft decks like the new <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gonti, Canny Acquisitor" href="#" target="_blank">Gonti</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or exile-matters decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prosper, Tome-Bound" href="#" target="_blank">Prosper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are where you could put this, but I think there are better choices for those decks.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Blade" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Blade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Blade"></div></div>
<p>I'm kind of surprised this wasn't the name of a <em>Magic </em>card already. Giving enter-the-battlefield (ETB) triggers to Equipment certainly makes them better, and it's cool that in this case it's "modal" removal spell. If this had flash, I'd be in but sadly it doesn't, so I'm out.</p>
<p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: At this point in writing I realized that these are legal in Modern too, which is laughable given that we just saw how powerful <em>Modern Horizons 3</em> is. Who are these cards for outside of <em>Assassin's Creed</em> fans? I also realized this is supposed to sell in small packs like <em>March of the Machine: The </em><em>Aftermath</em>, which was one of the biggest product flops in recent years. Since <em>Wizards</em> cancelled a similar product for <em>Outlaws of Thunder Junction,</em> I'm guessing there wasn't enough time to change this one. Yikes.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Poison-Blade Mentor" href="#" target="_blank">Poison-Blade Mentor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Poison-Blade Mentor"></div></div>
<p>A 2/1, non-evasive creature that cares only about Assassins? It could go in Assassin decks like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramses, Assassin Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Ramses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but maybe not even there. With all the cards to choose from in our format, I have a hard time seeing this making the 99.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Restart Sequence" href="#" target="_blank">Restart Sequence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Restart Sequence"></div></div>
<p>Alright, they got me. I'm a sucker for reanimation spells. We don't usually get them even at four mana anymore, and this even has the option to cast for two. If you're playing Assassins or attacking a lot with your commander, this is a solid inclusion in one of your recursion slots over something like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Persist" href="#" target="_blank">Persist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and certainly over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Zombify" href="#" target="_blank">Zombify</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I like this as a budget option as well, so consider it over <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reanimate" href="#" target="_blank">Reanimate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animate Dead" href="#" target="_blank">Animate Dead</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to save a few bucks. I'm pretty sure this is the best card in this list.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Roshan, Hidden Magister" href="#" target="_blank">Roshan, Hidden Magister</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Roshan, Hidden Magister"></div></div>
<p>What in <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ratadrabik of Urborg" href="#" target="_blank">Ratadrabik</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s name is this? A <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Maskwood Nexus" href="#" target="_blank">Maskwood Nexus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for Assassins? A support card for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer" href="#" target="_blank">Kadena</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? Both? Morph Assassins is not something I thought I'd talk about in an article but here we are. Also cool with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Scarblade Elite" href="#" target="_blank">Scarblade Elite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> for your Assassins deck I guess, but what an odd design. There must be something here from a flavor perspective that I'm missing.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Revelations of Ezio" href="#" target="_blank">The Revelations of Ezio</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Revelations of Ezio"></div></div>
<p>With Ezio as the focus, is this Saga supposed to represent all three <em>Assassin's Creed II</em> games? If so, I get the first chapter which is just <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assassinate" href="#" target="_blank">Assassinate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but the other two are lost on me. Again, if you're doing the Assassin thing with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ramses, Assassin Lord" href="#" target="_blank">Ramses</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mari, the Killing Quill" href="#" target="_blank">Mari</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etrata, Deadly Fugitive" href="#" target="_blank">Etrata</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, this seems like the set for you. Otherwise I suggest looking elsewhere for your revelations.</p>
<hr />
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Merciless Harlequin" href="#" target="_blank">Merciless Harlequin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Merciless Harlequin"></div></div>
<p>As with everything else, consider if you're building an Assassins deck. What blew my mind about this card is the name. I didn't know what harlequin meant, so I looked. Almighty Google defines it as: "a mute character in traditional <span class="AraNOb">pantomime</span>, typically <span class="AraNOb">masked</span> and dressed in a diamond-patterned costume." Harlequin. Harley Quinn. You learn something new every day.</p>
<hr />
<p>Yikes. In my opinion, just like the video game franchise, the <em>Assassin's Creed</em> set<em> </em>perfectly encapsulates the vibe of initial excitement and success being completely destroyed by product fatigue. Not something unfamiliar to us <em>Magic </em>players. I know it was a negative review, but I want to be honest with my suggestions and opinions for all you fine readers. If you're looking for more bubbly and excited writing from me, and/or you're interested in budget deck building, check out my usual series, <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/author/brian-cain/"><em>Brew For Your Buck</em></a>.</p>
<p>If you're excited about this set, I'd love to hear about it. Change my mind! Or maybe you agree with everything I said and we can commiserate together. Either way, drop me a line in the comments or give me a follow on Twitter @BrewForYourBuck. I'll see you next time!</p>


assassins

EDHREC Guide to Cats in Commander

EDHREC Guide to Assassins in Commander

Recross the Paths - Building a Slivers/Assassins Deck With Rukarumel Biologist

Assassin's Creed Set Review - Black