Cryptborn Horror
Creature — Horror
Trample
This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the total life lost by your opponents this turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BR
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Return to Ravnica Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #17424
Cryptborn Horror enters as a massive threat when your opponents are bleeding — a three-mana creature that can easily land as a 10/10 or larger in the right moment. The payoff is real, but the dependency on opponent life loss makes Cryptborn Horror a build-around, not a slam-include; Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight and similar commanders that pressure life totals on your turn are where it earns its slot.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Cryptborn Horror is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker. Commander is where it makes the most sense — three players taking damage before your turn can produce a creature with 15 or more counters, and the format's life-loss themes (Rakdos, Grixis, Mardu) give it natural homes. In Modern and Legacy the bar for a three-mana creature is brutally high, and Cryptborn Horror's size depends entirely on your opponents cooperating before your third turn, which they won't reliably do in those formats. Pioneer is a softer field but the same problem applies — this is a build-around card, and constructed formats rarely support that kind of setup cost.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightBlasting StationCryptborn Horror
Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite damage; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightShilgengar, Sire of FamineCryptborn Horror
Infinite Blood tokens; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightAltar of DementiaCryptborn Horror
Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite death triggers; Infinite mill; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite self-mill
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightWoe StriderCryptborn Horror
Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite scry 1
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of TwilightPhantom TrainCryptborn Horror
Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available for Cryptborn Horror at the moment — check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for current market listings. Given its niche build-around status and narrow competitive application, it historically occupies the bulk-rare range, making it an easy pickup if the commander synergy is there.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight
- Blasting Station
- Shilgengar, Sire of Famine
- Altar of Dementia
- Woe Strider
- Phantom Train
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.