Baral and Kari Zev
Legendary Creature — Human
First strike, menace
Whenever you cast your first instant or sorcery spell each turn, you may cast a spell with lesser mana value that shares a card type with it from your hand without paying its mana cost. If you don't, create First Mate Ragavan, a legendary 2/1 red Monkey Pirate creature token. It gains haste until end of turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- RU
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- March of the Machine
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #6745
Baral and Kari Zev puts a 2/3 menace body and a free 2/1 Ragavan token into play on the same turn you cast your first instant or sorcery — the threat is immediate and the cost is two mana. It's a staple in Anhelo, the Painter builds precisely because a three-power casualty-eligible creature that rewards spell-casting is exactly what that deck is looking for.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Anhelo, the Painter
Anhelo, the Painter needs a three-power creature to sacrifice for casualty, and Baral and Kari Zev delivers that while also generating Ragavan as a bonus casualty-fodder token — two resources for the price of one.
Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot
Lilah, Undefeated Slickshot rewards every instant and sorcery with extra combat pressure, and Baral and Kari Zev fits cleanly as an early threat that keeps pace with that spell-slinging tempo.
Shiko and Narset, Unified
Shiko and Narset, Unified wants a critical mass of creatures that trigger off noncreature spells, and Baral and Kari Zev slots in as a cheap, immediate payoff that also leaves a body on the field.
Gandalf of the Secret Fire
Gandalf of the Secret Fire builds around instant and sorcery synergies, and Baral and Kari Zev contributes both a relevant creature and a token that can absorb sacrifice effects or trade in combat.
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 |
In Commander, Baral and Kari Zev is a role-player in Izzet and Grixis spell-slinging decks — low enough on the curve to come down early and immediately threaten value, but not a build-around on its own. In Modern and Legacy, a two-mana 2/3 menace that makes a Ragavan token on first spell cast is fine but not format-warping; it competes for slots in decks that already run the real Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer and have little reason to compromise. Pioneer is its best competitive home outside Commander, where the card pool is thinner and the two-for-one body at two mana has more relative weight. Pauper and Standard eligibility are off the table.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Baral and Kari Zev sits firmly in bulk territory — pick it up without thinking twice. Bulk rare prices at this level rarely climb unless a deck breaks into competitive prominence, so treat it as a cheap inclusion rather than a spec.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.