Leonin Arbiter
Creature — Cat Cleric
Players can't search libraries. Any player may pay 
for that player to ignore this effect until end of turn.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Double Masters 2022
- Price
- $0.68
- EDHREC rank
- #6786
Leonin Arbiter shuts off all library searching unless opponents pay two mana — on a 2/2 body for two mana, that's an asymmetric tax that punches well above its cost. Run it in any white creature deck that doesn't rely on fetches itself, and it will slow down fetch lands, tutors, and ramp spells every turn it's alive.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Arahbo, the First Fang
Arahbo, the First Fang is a Cat tribal commander, and Leonin Arbiter is a Cat — so it pulls double duty as both a tribal body and a stax piece that opponents have to answer before they can tutor up a threat or crack a fetch.
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah leans into Cat synergies, and Leonin Arbiter fits that tribal shell while taxing every opponent who wants to search their library on the turns Ajani is building board presence.
Arahbo, Roar of the World
Arahbo, Roar of the World is the most-played Cat commander on the site, and Leonin Arbiter makes the cut in nearly one in four of those decks — it's a free tribal member that doubles as disruption against any search-heavy opponent.
Lavinia, Azorius Renegade
Lavinia, Azorius Renegade is built around taxing opponents for casting spells outside the rules, and Leonin Arbiter extends that punishment to library searches, stacking soft locks that add up fast.
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV already makes everything cost more, and layering Leonin Arbiter on top means opponents need to float two extra mana just to crack a fetch or resolve a tutor — the cumulative tax is brutal.
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 |
In Commander, Leonin Arbiter is most at home in white stax and tribal Cat builds, where the search tax hits fetch lands, Demonic Tutor, and any ramp spell that searches for a basic — all without costing you anything if you've cut fetches from your own list. In Legacy, it sees niche play in Death and Taxes, where it pairs with Rishadan Port and Wasteland to completely shut opponents off the mana and card selection they need to function. Modern has similar applications in Taxes shells, though the format's speed means it needs protection to survive long enough to matter. Leonin Arbiter is not legal in Pioneer or Standard, so those formats are off the table entirely.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.68 bulk tier
At $0.68, Leonin Arbiter is bulk — but it's bulk with a track record in multiple competitive formats, which tends to keep the floor from dropping further. It's a safe pickup at this price for any stax or Cat build without meaningful downside risk.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.