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Initiates of the Ebon Hand

Creature — Cleric

{1}: Add {B}. If this ability has been activated four or more times this turn, sacrifice this creature at the beginning of the next end step.

CMC
1
Mana cost
{B}
Color identity
B
Rarity
common
Set
Fifth Edition
Price
$0.11
EDHREC rank
#21443
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Initiates of the Ebon Hand card art
Initiates of the Ebon Hand converts colorless mana into black mana at the cost of 1 life — a tax low enough to ignore in most games. It occupies the same niche as Reassembling Skeleton in sacrifice loops, but its primary role is color-fixing for black-heavy pips in Commander, not raw card power.

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 legal
oathbreaker legal

Initiates of the Ebon Hand sees essentially zero play in Legacy or Vintage, where the rate doesn't compete with anything in those formats' mana infrastructures. In Pauper it's legal but unplayed — the effect is too narrow to slot into any established shell. Commander is the only realistic home, specifically in decks that run heavy black pip requirements and want redundant mana-fixers or sacrifice fodder that also produces black mana on demand.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

74 decks
Ozox, the Clattering KingAshnod's AltarInitiates of the Ebon Hand

Ozox, the Clattering KingAshnod's AltarInitiates of the Ebon Hand

Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite colorless mana; Infinite storm count; Infinite black mana

View on Commander Spellbook ↗

Price Context

Current price

$0.11 bulk tier

At $0.11, Initiates of the Ebon Hand sits firmly in bulk territory — a throw-in card rather than a purchase. Bulk commons with niche combo applications can hold their floor for years without moving, so don't expect this to creep up.

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Sources

Mentioned

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