Basri's Acolyte
Creature — Cat Cleric
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
When this creature enters, put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two other target creatures you control.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Core Set 2021
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #14175
Basri's Acolyte lands on a five-drop body and immediately distributes +1/+1 counters across up to four creatures — the board impact is immediate and wide. The cost is the mana: five mana for an effect that doesn't protect itself means it needs a counter-hungry deck to justify the slot, and Arahbo, the First Fang is exactly that deck.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Arahbo, the First Fang
Arahbo, the First Fang builds around stacking +1/+1 counters on Cats, and Basri's Acolyte accelerates that plan by spreading counters to multiple creatures at once — turning a board of modest Cats into a lethal threat in a single main phase.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Basri's Acolyte is a role-player in counter-distribution strategies — it's not a powerhouse, but in a deck that already wants multiple creatures growing simultaneously, five mana for four counters spread across the board is a legitimate rate. Outside Commander, it's legal in Pauper, Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, and Vintage, but it sees no meaningful play in any of those formats — five-mana sorcery-speed effects that don't win the game on the spot don't survive competitive scrutiny. Stick to Commander if you're running Basri's Acolyte.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Basri's Acolyte sits firmly in bulk territory — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price point don't appreciate, so grab a copy for your counter deck and don't think twice about it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.