Mage Slayer
Artifact — Equipment
Whenever equipped creature attacks, it deals damage equal to its power to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.
Equip 
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GR
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Neon Dynasty Commander
- Price
- $1.62
- EDHREC rank
- #4151
Mage Slayer turns every attacking creature into a direct burn spell — when it attacks, it deals damage equal to its power straight to the defending player, ignoring blockers, life gain, and most defensive tricks. At three mana to equip and three to cast, Chishiro, the Shattered Blade makes Mage Slayer free to rebuy by generating Aura and Equipment tokens, keeping the pressure engine running without the overhead.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Chishiro, the Shattered Blade
Chishiro, the Shattered Blade generates a 2/2 Samurai token whenever an Aura or Equipment enters, which means Mage Slayer's arrival immediately creates a new body to strap it onto — the equip cost becomes the only friction in a deck already built to minimize it.
Wulfgar of Icewind Dale
Wulfgar of Icewind Dale doubles triggered abilities that trigger when creatures attack, so Mage Slayer's damage trigger fires twice per attacker — a single large creature can dome an opponent for double its power before a blocker is even declared.
Kresh the Bloodbraided
Kresh the Bloodbraided grows on every creature death, and Mage Slayer converts that stacked power into life-total pressure the moment Kresh swings — opponents who can't block a 15/15 also can't survive the damage trigger.
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
Maarika, Brutal Gladiator forces the defending player to sacrifice a creature whenever she deals combat damage, and Mage Slayer ensures that damage lands regardless of how the block is declared — removal-resistant pressure every turn.
Wolverine, Best There Is
Wolverine, Best There Is accumulates +1/+1 counters aggressively, and Mage Slayer converts that growing power into a pre-combat burn trigger that can close games before the combat step even resolves.
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 |
Mage Slayer is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but in practice it only sees meaningful play in Commander. In Legacy and Vintage the equip cost is prohibitively slow against the format's interaction density, and Modern has long since left three-mana Equipment with no inherent protection behind. Commander is where Mage Slayer earns its place — multiplayer life totals mean the guaranteed damage trigger accrues across multiple opponents each turn cycle, and the creature-centric, combat-focused decks that dominate the format give it a reliable home.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.62 cheap tier
At $1.62, Mage Slayer sits in the cheap tier — low enough that it's a no-hesitation inclusion in any deck that wants it. Demand is narrow and Commander-specific, so the price is unlikely to spike, but it's also unlikely to drop further given its consistent niche.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Chishiro, the Shattered Blade
- Wulfgar of Icewind Dale
- Kresh the Bloodbraided
- Maarika, Brutal Gladiator
- Wolverine, Best There Is
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.