Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
Legendary Creature — Cat Warrior // Legendary Planeswalker — Ajani
When Ajani enters, create a 2/1 white Cat Warrior creature token.
Whenever one or more other Cats you control die, you may exile Ajani, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- RW
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Modern Horizons 3
- Price
- $15.13
- EDHREC rank
- #4472
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger enters as a two-mana 2/1 that replaces itself on death and flips into a planeswalker the moment you lose another creature — in Cat and token strategies, that flip condition triggers constantly, and the -4 that follows can bury opponents in 2/2s. Nim Deathmantle loops and Rin and Seri, Inseparable builds are the natural homes: cheap, resilient, and self-replacing in the exact shells that want it.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rin and Seri, Inseparable
Rin and Seri, Inseparable triggers off both Cats and Dogs, so every token Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger generates compounds the life gain and damage pings that define the deck's engine — 44% inclusion across more than 21,000 Rin and Seri, Inseparable decks confirms this isn't a pet card, it's a staple.
Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second
Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second converts any token Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger produces into a 2/2 Cat or 3/1 Dog with haste, turning the -4 into an immediate board threat rather than a slow build.
Jetmir, Nexus of Revels
Jetmir, Nexus of Revels scales off creature count, so the wide boards that Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger creates feed directly into the attack-step explosions Jetmir, Nexus of Revels is built around.
Marisi, Breaker of the Coil
Marisi, Breaker of the Coil needs bodies that hit every opponent to lock down spell casting, and Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger supplies a steady stream of attackers that keep the goad engine running.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is the clear home for Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger — the multiplayer board means you'll almost always have a creature dying within the first few turns to trigger the flip, and the resulting planeswalker generates tokens at a scale that matters in a four-player game. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but far too slow; a two-mana 2/1 with a conditional flip doesn't compete in those environments. Modern is where the conversation gets interesting: white-green aggressive shells can meet the flip condition reliably, but the card still competes against a dense two-drop slot and hasn't found a firm foothold. Oathbreaker is a reasonable venue in Naya token builds where the flip condition is trivially satisfied.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl AvengerNim DeathmantleAshnod's Altar
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
If the price is the obstacle, Ajani's Pridemate covers part of the role — it grows off life gain, costs under $0.50, and fits the same Cat-tribal shells — but it doesn't replace itself on death or generate a board of tokens, so it's a downgrade in any deck that leans on the planeswalker flip. Bloodspore Thrinax is another angle in token strategies, turning deaths into +1/+1 counters on new arrivals, though again you lose the self-replacing draw effect that makes Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger sticky in attrition games.
Price Context
Current price
$15.13 mid tier
At $15.13, Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger sits in the mid tier — expensive enough to feel like a deliberate slot, not a filler pick. The 44% inclusion rate in Rin and Seri, Inseparable decks supports the price holding; widespread demand from a popular commander keeps floor prices stable on cards like this.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.