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Ghalta, Primal Hunger

Legendary Creature — Elder Dinosaur

This spell costs {X} less to cast, where X is the total power of creatures you control.
Trample (This creature can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)

CMC
12
Mana cost
{10}{G}{G}
Color identity
G
Rarity
rare
Set
Rivals of Ixalan Promos
Price
—
EDHREC rank
#478
Buy on TCGplayer
Ghalta, Primal Hunger card art
Ghalta, Primal Hunger is a 12/12 trampler that routinely costs two or three mana in any deck running sizeable creatures — the cost reduction isn't a bonus, it's the entire point. Brinelin, the Moon Kraken and Owen Grady, Raptor Trainer // Blue, Loyal Raptor both run it at above 80% inclusion because a free or near-free fatty that attacks for lethal on its own is never a flex slot.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Owen Grady, Raptor TrainerBlue, Loyal Raptor

Owen Grady, Raptor Trainer // Blue, Loyal Raptor

82.0% of decks · synergy 0.77

Owen Grady, Raptor Trainer // Blue, Loyal Raptor builds a board of high-power Dinosaurs fast, which collapses Ghalta, Primal Hunger's cost to almost nothing and gives it immediate company in combat.

02
The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride

The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride

71.1% of decks · synergy 0.67

The Gitrog, Ravenous Ride puts massive power on the board quickly through its mount mechanic, and Ghalta, Primal Hunger slots in as the natural payoff — a free 12/12 trample that closes games the same turn Gitrog swings.

03
Gishath, Sun's Avatar

Gishath, Sun's Avatar

81.9% of decks · synergy 0.66

Gishath, Sun's Avatar floods the board with large Dinosaurs, so Ghalta, Primal Hunger routinely costs one or two mana while adding another enormous threat the deck's opponents have to answer.

05
Ghalta and Mavren

Ghalta and Mavren

61.4% of decks · synergy 0.59

Ghalta and Mavren generates token pressure alongside big-power threats, and Ghalta, Primal Hunger fits as the redundant high-power anchor that keeps the cost reduction engine firing even when the commander is answered.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer legal
standard legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Ghalta, Primal Hunger is most at home — the format's power-heavy creature strategies reliably reduce it to two or three mana, and a 12/12 trampler ends games fast in a pod environment where life totals sit at 40. In Modern and Pioneer, it sees fringe play in stompy shells that can land a couple of big creatures early, but the format's interaction density makes a 12-mana creature with no protection a liability unless you're already winning. Legacy is too fast and too removal-saturated for Ghalta to matter. Standard legality opens up casual play, but competitive Standard lists rarely have the redundant power density to make the cost reduction consistent. Across all formats, the read is the same: Ghalta, Primal Hunger is outstanding when your board already dominates and embarrassing when it doesn't.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

unknown tier

Pricing data isn't available for Ghalta, Primal Hunger at the moment, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for current market values before buying. Given its high inclusion rates in popular Commander archetypes, it tends to hold meaningful value — don't assume it's bulk without checking first.

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Sources

Mentioned

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