Callous Oppressor
Creature — Octopus
You may choose not to untap this creature during your untap step.
As this creature enters, an opponent chooses a creature type.
: Gain control of target creature that isn't of the chosen type for as long as this creature remains tapped.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Onslaught
- Price
- $1.67
- EDHREC rank
- #15279
Callous Oppressor locks down a creature type of your choice every turn — opponents can't attack or block with their best tribal pieces unless they pay around it. The cost is the restriction on your own side: you can't control creatures of the chosen type either, so it punishes linear opponents far more than it punishes you.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Merieke Ri Berit
Merieke Ri Berit already wants to tap and untap repeatedly to steal creatures, and Callous Oppressor compounds that pressure by locking out an entire creature type — opponents fight on two fronts simultaneously, trying to protect both their best creature and their whole tribe.
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 |
Callous Oppressor is a Commander card through and through — the multiplayer table is where taxing multiple opponents' creature types compounds fast, and the three-mana cost is easy to hit in a format with generous ramp. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but sees no meaningful play; three mana for a soft lock that opponents can route around is far too slow against decks that can answer it in the same turn or simply ignore the chosen type. Oathbreaker is the one other format where it can function, essentially for the same reasons as Commander: multiple opponents and a slower clock make the lock sticky enough to matter.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.67 cheap tier
At $1.67, Callous Oppressor sits firmly in the bulk-rare tier — cheap enough to slot in without a second thought if the effect fits your deck. It's a narrow card with a narrow audience, so don't expect the price to move unless a prominent tribal commander pushes it into the spotlight.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Merieke Ri Berit
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.