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Cabal Ritual

Instant

Add {B}{B}{B}.
Threshold — Add {B}{B}{B}{B}{B} instead if there are seven or more cards in your graveyard.

CMC
2
Mana cost
{1}{B}
Color identity
B
Rarity
common
Set
Torment
Price
$14.82
EDHREC rank
#466
Buy on TCGplayer
Cabal Ritual card art
Cabal Ritual hands you three black mana for two mana — five with threshold — making it one of the most efficient black rituals in the format. It's a staple in any storm or fast-mana shell, and Saw in Half into Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept lines lean on it specifically to storm off early.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Rograkh, Son of RohgahhSilas Renn, Seeker Adept

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept

90.9% of decks · synergy 0.81

Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh // Silas Renn, Seeker Adept is the premier cEDH storm shell in black, and Cabal Ritual is a core piece of the engine — the free commander cost means you're chaining rituals into a win as early as turn one.

02
Dargo, the ShipwreckerTymna the Weaver

Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver

81.5% of decks · synergy 0.78

Dargo, the Shipwrecker // Tymna the Weaver runs Cabal Ritual to generate the burst black mana needed to chain through the Dargo cost-reduction loop and close out the game through Tymna's card advantage.

03
Ellie, Brick MasterJoel, Resolute Survivor

Ellie, Brick Master // Joel, Resolute Survivor

56.4% of decks · synergy 0.52

Ellie, Brick Master // Joel, Resolute Survivor needs to storm through artifact and token generation quickly, and Cabal Ritual provides the black mana burst to sequence multiple spells in a single turn.

04
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed NavigatorVial Smasher the Fierce

Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce

59.6% of decks · synergy 0.50

Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator // Vial Smasher the Fierce uses Cabal Ritual to fuel the spell-slinging required to trigger Vial Smasher repeatedly in the same turn, maximizing incidental damage while setting up the win.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper legal
oathbreaker legal

In Commander, Cabal Ritual is a staple in high-power and cEDH black decks — any deck that wins through storm, Ad Nauseam, or a mana-intensive combo line wants it. Threshold is easier to hit in Commander than in other formats given the longer game and higher spell volume, which makes the five-mana mode realistic rather than theoretical. In Legacy, it sees fringe play in storm variants as a Dark Ritual five and six, though the format's faster clock and harder threshold requirements limit its upside. Pauper is the other competitive home, where it functions as a ritual supplement in black combo builds that can reach threshold through cheap cantrips and cycling. Vintage has access to better options, but Cabal Ritual is legal there for whatever edge case demands it.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

782 decks
Cormela, Glamour ThiefSaw in HalfCabal Ritual

Cormela, Glamour ThiefSaw in HalfCabal Ritual

Infinite black mana; Infinite blue mana that can only be spent to cast instant and sorcery spells; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite magecraft triggers; Infinite red mana that can only be spent to cast instant and sorcery spells; Infinite storm count

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

Budget Alternatives

Cheaper options that do most of the same work

Dark Ritual is the closest replacement — same converted mana cost, nets the same three black mana without any condition, and costs under $1 in most printings. The trade-off is that you lose the threshold upside entirely, so in decks that reliably hit seven cards in the graveyard, Cabal Ritual is strictly better; in decks that don't, Dark Ritual is the correct call at a fraction of the price.

Price Context

Current price

$14.82 mid tier

At $14.82, Cabal Ritual sits in the mid tier — expensive enough to feel like a deliberate include, not so expensive it breaks a budget. It has multiple printings, so the price reflects genuine demand from cEDH and competitive Commander rather than scarcity, which means it's unlikely to spike but also unlikely to crater.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.