Callidus Assassin
Creature — Human Shapeshifter Assassin
Flash
Polymorphine — You may have this creature enter tapped as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it has "When this creature enters, destroy up to one other target creature with the same name as this creature."
- CMC
- 6
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BU
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Warhammer 40,000 Commander
- Price
- $8.05
- EDHREC rank
- #5367
Callidus Assassin enters the battlefield, kills a nontoken creature, and leaves a copy of it behind — removal and a body stapled together at five mana. Gyruda, Doom of Depths decks run it at a 43% rate because cloning an opponent's best even-CMC threat while removing it is exactly the kind of two-for-one a reanimator engine wants.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Gyruda, Doom of Depths
Gyruda, Doom of Depths mills even-CMC creatures into graveyards and clones them, so Callidus Assassin fits the shell perfectly — it removes a threat and produces a copy that Gyruda can loop again on the next trigger.
Ramses, Assassin Lord
Ramses, Assassin Lord cares about Assassins dealing combat damage to players, and Callidus Assassin is an Assassin that arrives with a body already on board, giving Ramses one more piece that both fills the tribe and eliminates blockers standing in the way.
Ezio Auditore da Firenze
Ezio Auditore da Firenze runs an Assassin tribal theme where every member of the type contributes, and Callidus Assassin pulls double duty — it triggers any Assassin-matters payoff Ezio provides while also handling a problematic creature the turn it comes down.
Inquisitor Greyfax
Inquisitor Greyfax grants vigilance and pumps creatures with the Detect keyword, and Callidus Assassin's enter-the-battlefield removal clears a blocker so Greyfax's vigilant attackers can swing without consequence.
Etrata, Deadly Fugitive
Etrata, Deadly Fugitive wants Assassins attacking and connecting, and Callidus Assassin earns its slot by removing a potential blocker on entry and then joining the attack as a copy of whatever creature it just killed.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Callidus Assassin does its best work — multiplayer tables are full of high-value creatures worth copying, and a five-mana spell that kills one and clones it is a strong rate when the stolen body can swing at a third opponent. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but effectively invisible; five mana for a conditional removal spell with a body doesn't compete in formats where the game is often over by turn three. Oathbreaker shares Commander's singleton, multiplayer DNA, so the same logic applies there at a smaller scale. This is a Commander card through and through, and building around it outside that format isn't worth the effort.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Spark Double and Reflections of Littjara copy your own creatures without the removal stapled on, which is cheaper in mana and price but requires a separate kill spell to match what Callidus Assassin does in one shot. Phyrexian Metamorph at roughly $3 copies any artifact or creature and dodges some removal via its artifact typing, making it the closest direct substitute — you lose the targeted destruction but gain flexibility and save five dollars.
Price Context
Current price
$8.05 mid tier
At $8.05, Callidus Assassin sits in the mid tier — expensive enough to feel like a deliberate include, cheap enough that its narrow synergy decks can justify the slot. It's a Commander-specific card with a stable niche, so the price is unlikely to swing hard in either direction absent a reprint.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Gyruda, Doom of Depths
- Ramses, Assassin Lord
- Ezio Auditore da Firenze
- Inquisitor Greyfax
- Etrata, Deadly Fugitive
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.