Champions of the Shoal
Creature — Merfolk Soldier
As an additional cost to cast this spell, behold a Merfolk and exile it. (Exile a Merfolk you control or a Merfolk card from your hand.)
Whenever this creature enters or becomes tapped, tap up to one target creature and put a stun counter on it.
When this creature leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to its owner's hand.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Lorwyn Eclipsed
- Price
- $0.33
- EDHREC rank
- #16870
Champions of the Shoal drops a 4/4 flying Merfolk token the moment it enters — no tap, no hoops, just immediate board presence. The cost is a three-mana sorcery that does exactly one thing, which means in a format built around card advantage, you're paying a premium for a body that Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca can immediately tap toward his activated abilities.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca wants as many Merfolk in play as possible to fuel his tap-three-to-draw and tap-five-to-pump lines, and Champions of the Shoal delivers two bodies for one card — the token counts immediately, giving Kumena a wider tap pool the turn it resolves.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Champions of the Shoal is a Commander card, full stop. In 60-card formats like Modern and Pioneer, a three-mana sorcery that produces a 4/4 flier competes with threats that close games outright, and Merfolk tribal in those formats demands one-mana lords and counterspell backup rather than token generators at three. Legacy has the same problem at higher speed. In Commander, the calculus shifts — you only need one copy, tribal synergies make the 4/4 body relevant immediately, and tapping it on Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca the same turn it enters converts the sorcery speed into something close to card equity.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.33 bulk tier
At $0.33, Champions of the Shoal sits firmly in bulk territory, which is accurate — it's a role-player in exactly one Commander archetype. Don't expect the price to move; bulk Merfolk tribal pieces at sorcery speed don't spike.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.