Exemplar of Strength
Creature — Human Warrior
When this creature enters, put three -1/-1 counters on target creature you control.
Whenever this creature attacks, remove a -1/-1 counter from it. If you do, you gain 1 life.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Amonkhet
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #23610
Exemplar of Strength enters as a 4/4 for two mana — one of the best stats-per-cost ratios in green — and the upkeep cost of removing a -1/-1 counter doubles as a free way to spread counters onto your own creatures or kill tokens. The catch is a real one: without another creature to absorb counters, Exemplar of Strength shrinks fast and dies.
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 |
In Commander, Exemplar of Strength is a role-player rather than a staple — it belongs specifically in -1/-1 counter synergy decks, where the upkeep trigger is a feature, not a drawback. In Modern and Pioneer, it competes with a crowded field of efficient two-drops and rarely makes the cut outside dedicated counter-manipulation builds. Legacy has too high a power ceiling for a 4/4 with a maintenance cost to matter. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander read: strong in the right shell, irrelevant outside it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Exemplar of Strength is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not scarcity. That price is unlikely to move unless a new -1/-1 counter commander pushes demand, so treat it as a free pickup whenever it crosses your path.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.