Archpriest of Shadows
Creature — Human Warlock
Backup 1 (When this creature enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following abilities until end of turn.)
Deathtouch
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player or battle, return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- March of the Machine Promos
- Price
- $1.12
- EDHREC rank
- #2999
Archpriest of Shadows reanimates a creature from any graveyard every time it connects with a player — repeatable, free, and attached to a body that already has deathtouch and lifelink. The cost is a five-mana 4/3 that does nothing the turn it enters and dies to any removal before combat; Henzie "Toolbox" Torre decks take the sting out of that with blitz, getting the trigger at instant speed for half the investment.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Henzie "Toolbox" Torre
Henzie "Toolbox" Torre's blitz ability lets Archpriest of Shadows enter swinging for its reduced cost, converting a single hit into a free reanimate before the card draws itself on death — all the value, none of the vulnerability of keeping a five-drop alive.
Felix Five-Boots
Felix Five-Boots copies triggered abilities from creatures that deal combat damage, meaning Archpriest of Shadows' reanimate trigger fires twice off a single successful attack — two creatures back, no extra mana.
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus makes one attacker unblockable each combat, and Archpriest of Shadows is an obvious candidate: guaranteed damage means a guaranteed reanimate every turn cycle.
Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima
Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima rewards connecting with players, and Archpriest of Shadows turns each successful hit into a free creature — the deathtouch makes it hard to chump, which keeps the engine running.
Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate
Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate builds around creatures entering from graveyards repeatedly, and Archpriest of Shadows adds a second, attack-based reanimate vector that doesn't cost mana or require Alesha to be the attacker.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Archpriest of Shadows earns its slot — graveyards fill fast at four-player tables, the trigger scales with the number of opponents to attack, and the reanimation target ceiling is sky-high. In Modern and Pioneer it's too slow and too easy to block profitably, with deathtouch doing little when opponents simply don't attack into it. Legacy has the raw power to surround it with protection and evasion, but Archpriest of Shadows still competes against a format full of faster, cheaper threats, making it a fringe consideration at best outside of dedicated graveyard brews.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.12 cheap tier
At $1.12, Archpriest of Shadows sits firmly in budget-include territory — high enough playability numbers across Commander to suggest steady demand, low enough price that there's no reason to skip it. It's unlikely to spike dramatically given its single printing, but it won't crater either; just buy it and run it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Henzie "Toolbox" Torre
- Felix Five-Boots
- Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
- Jin Sakai, Ghost of Tsushima
- Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.