Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar
Legendary Creature — Nightmare Cat
Commanders you control have menace and deathtouch.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Magic Online Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #6837
Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar turns any commander into a deathtouch, menace threat for two mana — that's a pair of keywords that together make combat math nightmarish for every opponent at the table. Kelsien, the Plague is the obvious home, since deathtouch lets it kill any creature it pings and Falthis costs almost nothing to deploy alongside it.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kelsien, the Plague
Kelsien, the Plague runs Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar in over 60% of lists because deathtouch converts every one-damage ping into a guaranteed kill, turning Kelsien's tap ability into unconditional removal on a stick.
Umbris, Fear Manifest
Umbris, Fear Manifest is already a must-answer threat in the command zone, and Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar's menace and deathtouch make it nearly impossible to double-block profitably — opponents either let Umbris connect and exile their library, or trade two creatures into a deathtouch body.
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator already has trample and wants to attack into stalled boards; Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar stacks deathtouch on top, so every blocker that steps in front dies while the trample damage still punches through.
Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate
Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate recurs small creatures aggressively, and Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar fits neatly under the two-power threshold for Alesha's ability — meaning it can come back from the graveyard and keep pushing deathtouch and menace onto Alesha turn after turn.
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 |
Commander is the only format where Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar does meaningful work — it exists specifically for the command zone, where a two-mana enchantment that permanently upgrades your commander pays dividends every time that commander attacks or activates. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but sees no play; there's no competitive context where spending two mana on a static keyword grant for your general makes sense when your general isn't a persistent threat across multiple game states. Oathbreaker has the same command-zone dynamics that make Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar appealing, and aggressive planeswalker builds that attack through combat could find use for it, though the format's faster pace narrows the window.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current pricing data for Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar isn't available in this snapshot, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the live number before buying. Historically it's been a bulk-to-low-value rare given its narrow application, so it's unlikely to cost more than a dollar or two — worth picking up on demand rather than speculating.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Kelsien, the Plague
- Umbris, Fear Manifest
- Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
- Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.