Iizuka the Ruthless
Legendary Creature — Human Samurai
Bushido 2 (Whenever this creature blocks or becomes blocked, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.)
, Sacrifice a Samurai: Samurai creatures you control gain double strike until end of turn.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Saviors of Kamigawa
- Price
- $1.28
- EDHREC rank
- #20735
Iizuka the Ruthless turns your entire Samurai army into a source of double strike, a board-wide pump that ends games in a single combat step. The cost — six mana, a sacrifice, and the legendary restriction — is real, but the payoff is a one-punch win condition that opponents can't ignore.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is the natural home for Iizuka the Ruthless: Samurai tribal is a supported archetype, and the six-mana investment is far more palatable when your commander can set up the board over multiple turns. In Legacy and Vintage, six mana for a narrow tribal effect is unplayable — faster threats dominate before Iizuka can matter. Modern technically allows it, but Samurai has no competitive foothold there, so it stays on the shelf. Stick to Commander, specifically a dedicated Samurai build, and Iizuka earns its slot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.28 cheap tier
At $1.28, Iizuka the Ruthless sits firmly in budget territory — cheap enough to slot in without a second thought. It's a narrow tribal card with a small audience, so don't expect the price to move significantly in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.