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Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph

Legendary Creature — Tyranid Human

Ward {2} (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays {2}.)
Three Autostubs — Whenever another source you control deals exactly 1 damage to a permanent or player, Ghyrson Starn deals 2 damage to that permanent or player.

CMC
3
Mana cost
{1}{U}{R}
Color identity
RU
Rarity
rare
Set
Warhammer 40,000 Commander
Price
$37.02
EDHREC rank
#3399
Buy on TCGplayer
Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph card art
Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph turns any source that deals exactly 1 damage into a repeatable three-damage ping — an effect that makes Boros Reckoner and every Nekusar, the Mindrazer wheel trigger suddenly threatening at instant speed. At three mana in Izzet colors, the cost is low enough that you're rarely giving up meaningful tempo to land it.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Nekusar, the Mindrazer

Nekusar, the Mindrazer

33.7% of decks · synergy 0.31

Nekusar, the Mindrazer deals 1 damage per card drawn to each opponent, which means Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph converts every single draw trigger into 3 damage — a wheel resolving with six cards in hand becomes 18 damage per opponent before anything else happens.

02
Vivi Ornitier

Vivi Ornitier

16.9% of decks · synergy 0.14

Vivi Ornitier's ability pings for 1 damage repeatedly as you cast spells, and Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph amplifies each of those pings to 3, turning a slow clock into a fast one without any additional combo infrastructure.

03
Niv-Mizzet, Parun

Niv-Mizzet, Parun

10.2% of decks · synergy 0.07

Niv-Mizzet, Parun pings for 1 whenever you draw a card, so pairing it with Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph triples that damage output and turns any draw-heavy turn into a serious threat to the table.

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 Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph lives — the format's multiplayer structure means the ping amplification hits three opponents simultaneously, and the density of 1-damage sources in Izzet (wheels, Curiosity effects, pingers) makes the payoff consistent. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but sees no meaningful play; the effect is too slow and too conditional against focused combo and tempo decks with no interest in the 1-damage infrastructure. Oathbreaker is the one other format where it could legitimately slot in, particularly in a Nekusar or damage-matters shell, though the smaller deck size narrows the supporting cast.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Budget Alternatives

Cheaper options that do most of the same work

No single card replicates Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph's blanket amplification, but Firebrand Archer and Thermo-Alchemist cover some of the same ground in spell-heavy decks — they deal 1 damage to opponents directly rather than multiplying other sources, and both cost under $0.50. The trade-off is that they're proactive rather than parasitic: you lose the explosive interaction with Nekusar triggers and Boros Reckoner-style redirects, but you keep a consistent damage clock without needing a specific 1-damage engine already in place.

Price Context

Current price

$37.02 premium tier

At $37.02, Ghyrson Starn, Kelermorph sits in premium territory for a non-mythic Commander card, driven almost entirely by its ceiling in dedicated wheel and ping decks rather than broad format demand. The price holds as long as Nekusar-style builds stay popular, but it's a single-format card with a narrow role — don't expect it to appreciate further.

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Sources

Mentioned

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