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Killian, Ink Duelist

Legendary Creature — Human Warlock

Lifelink
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Spells you cast that target a creature cost {2} less to cast.

CMC
2
Mana cost
{W}{B}
Color identity
BW
Rarity
uncommon
Set
Strixhaven: School of Mages
Price
$0.39
EDHREC rank
#3561
Buy on TCGplayer
Killian, Ink Duelist card art
Killian, Ink Duelist is a two-mana lifelink, menace creature that cuts the cost of every Aura and targeted spell you cast by two — that discount is the whole reason he exists. In his own commander slot, the upgrade to Killian, Decisive Mentor layers on even more value, and cards like Fallen Ideal become effectively free, turning him into an engine rather than a beater.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Killian, Decisive Mentor

Killian, Decisive Mentor

93.5% of decks · synergy 0.85

Killian, Decisive Mentor is the direct evolution of Killian, Ink Duelist, and the 93% inclusion rate reflects that — Ink Duelist's cost reduction stacks with Mentor's triggered abilities to make Auras and targeted spells absurdly cheap, letting the deck flood the board with enchantments by turn four.

02
Eriette, the Beguiler

Eriette, the Beguiler

78.0% of decks · synergy 0.76

Eriette, the Beguiler runs Killian, Ink Duelist because her gameplan depends on sticking as many Auras as possible as fast as possible, and shaving two mana off every enchantment dramatically accelerates the drain-and-steal package she wants online.

03
Eriette of the Charmed Apple

Eriette of the Charmed Apple

78.6% of decks · synergy 0.70

Eriette of the Charmed Apple's Aura-heavy strategy benefits from the same discount engine — Killian, Ink Duelist turns expensive enchant-opponent spells into one-mana plays, letting Eriette's tap-down and sacrifice effects come online before opponents can answer them.

04
Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness

Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness

50.5% of decks · synergy 0.42

Ardbert, Warrior of Darkness leans on targeted spells to shrink and remove blockers, and Killian, Ink Duelist's cost reduction means those interaction pieces resolve a full turn earlier — relevant when Ardbert needs creatures dead on the turn he attacks.

05
Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain

19.2% of decks · synergy 0.18

Arna Kennerüd, Skycaptain copies Auras when her creatures connect, so the more Auras you can cast in a turn the better; Killian, Ink Duelist's discount lets Arna's pilot chain multiple enchantments in one go and set up a massive copy trigger.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Killian, Ink Duelist does his best work — either as the commander himself or as a role-player in any Orzhov Aura or Voltron build, where the cost reduction compounds across a full game. In Modern and Pioneer, he's legal but competes in a space that doesn't reward a 2/2 with a conditional discount when faster threats dominate; he sees essentially no play there. Legacy and Vintage have more powerful things to do at two mana, and he's too fair for those formats to bother with. Oathbreaker is a reasonable second home if you're building around an Aura-heavy planeswalker shell, but again, Commander is the format that lets his ability generate real value over multiple turns.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.39 bulk tier

At $0.39, Killian, Ink Duelist is firmly bulk — he's widely available and easy to pick up without thinking twice. Given how often he shows up in Orzhov Aura builds, that price is unlikely to climb unless a new commander pushes the archetype into heavier demand.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

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