Agitator Ant
Creature — Insect
At the beginning of your end step, each player may put two +1/+1 counters on a creature they control. Goad each creature that had counters put on it this way. (Until your next turn, those creatures attack each combat if able and attack a player other than you if able.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Murders at Karlov Manor Commander
- Price
- $0.24
- EDHREC rank
- #2404
Agitator Ant puts +1/+1 counters on opponents' creatures every upkeep — forcing combat, generating chaos, and fueling goad-based engines without spending a card each turn. The cost is real: you're handing out stats, and a table with large threats gets larger. In the right deck, specifically anything helmed by Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage, that downside inverts entirely into free card advantage.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage
Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage goads the biggest creature each time one attacks, so Agitator Ant actively inflates opponents' power totals to unlock more goad triggers and more card draw — the two cards form a tight feedback loop.
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser
Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser rewards opponents attacking each other, and Agitator Ant's counters make those creatures more threatening, raising the incentive for players to swing sideways rather than at you.
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant goads on every attack and draws cards when goaded creatures attack their owners' opponents, so Agitator Ant fattens the creatures being goaded and keeps the combat-step engine spinning.
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent is already in the business of putting threats in other people's hands and provoking aggression, and Agitator Ant extends that philosophy by making every opponent's board incrementally more dangerous — and more likely to collide with other players.
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator
Firkraag, Cunning Instigator grows whenever a goaded creature attacks, so Agitator Ant's steady counter distribution means more counters for Firkraag and more creatures attractive enough to goad in the first place.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Agitator Ant is a Commander card through and through — its political, incremental effect needs a multiplayer table to do anything meaningful. In a 1-on-1 format like Legacy or Vintage, gifting your single opponent free power and toughness every upkeep is close to a concession, and it sees essentially zero play in those formats despite being technically legal. Oathbreaker can support it in the same goad shells that Commander does, though the smaller starting life totals compress the window where the political dance matters. The card's entire identity is built around the chaos of four players, which makes Commander the only context where Agitator Ant earns its slot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.24 bulk tier
At $0.24, Agitator Ant sits firmly in bulk territory — easy to acquire as a throw-in or from a common box. Bulk rares with narrow, archetype-specific appeal rarely climb unless a new commander dramatically spikes demand, so don't expect movement, but at this price there's no reason to hesitate on picking up copies for every goad deck you run.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage
- Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser
- Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
- Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
- Firkraag, Cunning Instigator
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.