Mardu Shadowspear
Creature — Human Warrior
Whenever this creature attacks, each opponent loses 1 life.
Dash 
(You may cast this spell for its dash cost. If you do, it gains haste, and it's returned from the battlefield to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Fate Reforged
- Price
- $0.21
- EDHREC rank
- #12400
Mardu Shadowspear drains each opponent for 1 on attack — in a four-player game, that's 3 life lost and 3 life gained before combat damage resolves. The cost is a one-mana 1/1 with no evasion, which means Belbe, Corrupted Observer is the reason this card sees real play.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Belbe, Corrupted Observer
Belbe, Corrupted Observer generates mana equal to the life opponents lose each turn, and Mardu Shadowspear's attack trigger hits all three opponents simultaneously — reliably unlocking two or more colorless mana off a single swing before Belbe's ability is even contested.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Mardu Shadowspear is a Commander card, full stop. In 60-card formats — Modern, Pioneer, Legacy — a 1/1 that drains one player for 1 on attack doesn't come close to the rate aggressive or combo decks demand. In Commander, the math flips: three opponents means three drain triggers off one attack, which is why it lands in nearly every Belbe, Corrupted Observer list and sees fringe play in lifegain-matters and aristocrats shells. Outside of that narrow Commander niche, there's no competitive home for it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.21 bulk tier
At $0.21, Mardu Shadowspear is deep bulk — a card you pick out of a box, not one you buy intentionally. That price is stable; the card's demand is almost entirely Belbe players, a dedicated but finite audience, so don't expect movement in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Belbe, Corrupted Observer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.