Black Sun's Zenith
Sorcery
Put X -1/-1 counters on each creature. Shuffle Black Sun's Zenith into its owner's library.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Duel Decks: Mirrodin Pure vs. New Phyrexia
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #1948
Black Sun's Zenith puts -1/-1 counters on every creature — not damage, not toughness reduction, counters — which means anything that survives keeps the debuff permanently and indestructible creatures aren't safe. The cost is real: X mana for a sweeper that shuffles back into your library is a high ask, but Auntie Ool, Cursewretch makes that recursion a feature, and any deck that wants Doomsday-style late-game inevitability appreciates the self-replacing nature.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch triggers off -1/-1 counters being placed on creatures, so Black Sun's Zenith hitting an entire board in a single cast generates a storm of triggers — it's the payoff the whole engine is built around.
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card whenever a creature gets a -1/-1 counter, so Black Sun's Zenith cast for X=3 across a stocked board can refill your hand in one shot before anything even dies.
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons creates a 1/1 deathtouch Snake whenever any creature receives a -1/-1 counter, turning Black Sun's Zenith into a one-sided army generator if your opponents have more creatures than you do.
The Reaper, King No More
The Reaper, King No More cares about creatures dying with counters on them, so Black Sun's Zenith finishing off a board full of weakened creatures cascades into a round of sacrifice triggers and card advantage.
Massacre Girl, Known Killer
Massacre Girl, Known Killer grants your spells the ability to put -1/-1 counters on creatures they damage, but Black Sun's Zenith goes further — it bypasses combat entirely and seeds counters everywhere, letting Massacre Girl convert a mid-game board wipe into a chain of death triggers.
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 where Black Sun's Zenith earns its slot: the counter type matters, not just the numbers, so -1/-1 synergy commanders treat it as a combo piece rather than a fair sweeper. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but rarely played — Toxic Deluge does the same job for three mana at instant speed with no setup, and those formats don't reward the Zenith's self-shuffling upside. Modern has access to it but the same problem applies; faster, cheaper sweepers dominate. Pioneer and Standard don't carry it, and Pauper is off the table entirely — Black Sun's Zenith is a rare. The card's real home has always been Commander, specifically decks that can exploit the counter placement as a second effect rather than just the board wipe.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
DoomsdayCommander's SphereBolas's CitadelAetherflux ReservoirBlack Sun's Zenith
Infinite damage; Infinite lifegain; Infinite lifegain triggers; Infinite storm count
View combo details →Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't currently available for Black Sun's Zenith, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the latest figures — it has multiple printings across different sets and product lines, which tends to keep singles affordable. Given how heavily it's played in -1/-1 counter Commander builds, it's worth picking up a copy regardless of the exact price rather than treating it as a cut.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.