Algae Gharial
Creature — Crocodile
Shroud (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities.)
Whenever another creature dies, you may put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Shards of Alara
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #21261
Algae Gharial grows without any investment — every creature that dies anywhere at the table adds a +1/+1 counter, and in a four-player game that math compounds fast. The floor is a 1/1 for four mana, which is unplayable; the ceiling in a token-heavy or sacrifice-heavy pod is a 10/10 by turn six.
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 |
Algae Gharial is a Commander card — full stop. In a four-player pod where creatures die every turn, it grows without any additional investment, and graveyard-matters or sacrifice commanders turn it into a legitimate secondary win condition. In Legacy, Modern, and Vintage it's a four-mana 1/1 with no immediate impact, which is simply uncompetitive in those formats even if it's technically legal. Oathbreaker shares Commander's multiplayer dynamics and the card functions the same way there, rewarding shells that already kill creatures on loop.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Algae Gharial is deep bulk — it costs less than the sleeve you put it in. That price will hold near zero indefinitely; there is no competitive demand pulling it up, and the casual demand that exists is already satisfied by how many copies exist in circulation.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.