Imperious Oligarch
Creature — Human Cleric
Vigilance
Afterlife 1 (When this creature dies, create a 1/1 white and black Spirit creature token with flying.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BW
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Ravnica Allegiance
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #14135
Imperious Oligarch puts two bodies on the board for two mana — a 1/1 for itself and a 1/1 Citizen token on entry — making it an immediate two-for-one that death-trigger decks convert into card advantage and sacrifice fodder. Teysa Karlov doubles that death trigger, and Nim Deathmantle turns any sacrifice loop into an engine that never runs out of fuel.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Teysa Karlov
Teysa Karlov doubles every death trigger Imperious Oligarch produces, so each sacrifice cycle generates twice the value — lifelink, draw, or whatever payoff the deck is running — while the Citizen token feeds the sacrifice outlet again.
Teysa, Orzhov Scion
Teysa, Orzhov Scion exiles creatures to remove opponents' threats, and Imperious Oligarch supplies two white creatures in one card, keeping that exile ability online without depleting hand resources.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Imperious Oligarch earns its keep — Orzhov sacrifice and token-doubling shells treat it as a reliable two-for-one that fuels engines from turn two onward. In Pauper it's legal and the two-bodies-for-two-mana rate is legitimately competitive in go-wide or sacrifice strategies, though it faces stiff competition at the two-drop slot. In Modern, Pioneer, Legacy, and Vintage the card is legal but there's no real reason to run it over more efficient options — the power level doesn't translate outside of dedicated token or death-trigger synergy shells.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Nim DeathmantleAshnod's AltarImperious Oligarch
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Imperious Oligarch is pure bulk — pick up copies without a second thought. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price point rarely spike unless a new commander pushes the archetype into the spotlight, so don't expect movement, but there's no reason not to own a playset.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.