Kain, Traitorous Dragoon
Legendary Creature — Human Knight
Jump — During your turn, Kain has flying.
Whenever Kain deals combat damage to a player, that player gains control of Kain. If they do, you draw that many cards, create that many tapped Treasure tokens, then lose that much life.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Final Fantasy
- Price
- $0.25
- EDHREC rank
- #8749
Kain, Traitorous Dragoon is a repeatable steal effect on a creature — it lets you take control of an opponent's permanent each combat, which is a strong on-board threat that demands an answer. The cost is that the stolen permanent goes back at end of turn, so you're renting, not buying, unless you have sacrifice outlets ready. Cecil, Dark Knight decks in particular turn that rental clause into a non-issue by sacrificing stolen creatures before the end step.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Cecil, Dark Knight
Kain, Traitorous Dragoon appears in over half of all Cecil, Dark Knight decks because Cecil's sacrifice-matters gameplan turns every stolen creature into a free resource — grab an opponent's blocker, sacrifice it for value, and never return it.
Blim, Comedic Genius
Blim, Comedic Genius already wants to push permanents across the table, and Kain, Traitorous Dragoon fits that philosophy by pulling them back the other direction — together they create a constant churn of borrowed permanents that keeps opponents off-balance.
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent decks run Kain, Traitorous Dragoon as a political pressure tool — stealing a creature each combat punishes whoever is ahead on board and reinforces the archenemy-management game Xantcha incentivizes.
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant rewards attacking and goading, and Kain, Traitorous Dragoon adds a second axis of pressure by stealing the most dangerous creature every combat step, making it harder for any single opponent to hold a defensive wall.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Kain, Traitorous Dragoon is legal in every major Constructed format but sees essentially no play outside Commander — the effect is too slow and situational for formats where games end before a three-mana creature generates multiple stolen attacks. In Commander, it's a legitimate role-player in Rakdos and Grixis shells that want to steal, sacrifice, or politically manipulate creatures, with that 54% inclusion rate in Cecil, Dark Knight decks confirming it's not fringe. Outside of Commander, treat it as a bulk rare that exists on paper.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.25 bulk tier
At $0.25, Kain, Traitorous Dragoon is firmly bulk, and the price reflects its narrow Constructed demand. Given its strong showing in Cecil, Dark Knight decks, it's unlikely to drop further, but don't expect it to spike — the ceiling is Commander demand, and that's already priced in.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Cecil, Dark Knight
- Blim, Comedic Genius
- Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
- Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.