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Dread Tiller

Artifact Creature — Scarecrow

When this creature enters, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Whenever a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, you may put a land card from your hand or graveyard onto the battlefield tapped.

CMC
3
Mana cost
{1}{B}{G}
Color identity
BG
Rarity
rare
Set
Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander
Price
$0.33
EDHREC rank
#6862
Buy on TCGplayer
Dread Tiller card art
Dread Tiller puts a 3/3 land token onto the battlefield whenever you sacrifice a land — that's a free body every time you pay the tax, and it stacks fast in graveyard and sacrifice shells. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed gives the token undying, meaning a single sac loop nets you two bodies; Auntie Ool, Cursewretch makes the whole engine trivial to assemble by repeatedly distributing -1/-1 counters that feed right back into more triggers.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch

Auntie Ool, Cursewretch

85.8% of decks · synergy 0.68

Auntie Ool, Cursewretch is the premier home for Dread Tiller — Ool's ability to keep placing -1/-1 counters on her own creatures generates a constant stream of deaths and sacrifices that converts directly into Tiller land tokens, effectively giving the deck an infinite supply of blockers and sac fodder.

02
The Reaper, King No More

The Reaper, King No More

79.7% of decks · synergy 0.62

The Reaper, King No More leverages Dread Tiller as a resilient token engine that keeps the battlefield stocked after the commander inevitably consumes creatures; the Tiller ensures every sacrificed land translates into a body that The Reaper can feed on again.

03
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

36.6% of decks · synergy 0.36

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons pairs with Dread Tiller because the -1/-1 counter synergy that kills creatures also powers Tiller triggers, and the resulting 3/3 tokens give Hapatra more targets to distribute counters onto, tightening the loop.

04
Volrath, the Shapestealer

Volrath, the Shapestealer

13.7% of decks · synergy 0.13

Volrath, the Shapestealer runs Dread Tiller as a -1/-1 counter target that doubles as a token generator — Volrath can copy the Tiller to create land tokens on his own terms while keeping the original in play as a redundant source.

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 not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Dread Tiller actually lives — the 100-card singleton format gives it the sacrifice synergies, graveyard recursion, and counter-based engines that make a 2/2 for four worth the slot. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but functionally irrelevant; those formats have no interest in a four-mana creature that produces tokens tied to land sacrifice when faster and more powerful options exist at every point on the curve. Oathbreaker is the one fringe home where Dread Tiller could see play in a dedicated Golgari or black-green shell, provided the planeswalker and signature spell support the loop.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.33 bulk tier

At $0.33, Dread Tiller is bulk — you're paying for the effect, not a scarcity premium, and there's no meaningful floor risk here. It's a safe pickup at this price if the deck wants it, and it's unlikely to spike unless a high-profile commander release puts it on the map overnight.

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Sources

Mentioned

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