Merciless Executioner
Creature — Orc Warrior
When this creature enters, each player sacrifices a creature of their choice.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.60
- EDHREC rank
- #2212
Merciless Executioner lands and every opponent has to sacrifice a creature — that's a forced edict that ignores hexproof, shroud, and indestructible on the first trigger. The cost is real: it demands you sacrifice one too, and in Commander that symmetry is usually manageable when you're running recursion or token generation, which is exactly why Burakos, Party Leader and Vincent Valentine shells love it.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Vincent Valentine
Vincent Valentine transforms into different forms on death triggers, and Merciless Executioner gives him a clean, repeatable way to die on command — sacrifice it, fire the edict, trigger the transformation, then loop it back with recursion.
Fumulus, the Infestation
Fumulus, the Infestation rewards you for sacrificing creatures and making opponents sacrifice them too, so Merciless Executioner does double duty: it fuels Fumulus's own engine while stripping a threat off every opponent's board simultaneously.
Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER accumulates counters and value off creatures dying, and Merciless Executioner guarantees multiple deaths the turn it enters — including itself if you need to push the count higher.
Malik, Grim Manipulator
Malik, Grim Manipulator punishes opponents whenever they sacrifice creatures, turning Merciless Executioner's mass-edict into immediate damage or life drain across the table.
Sauron, Lord of the Rings
Sauron, Lord of the Rings wants the Ring to tempt repeatedly and creatures to die on your terms; Merciless Executioner provides a clean sacrifice outlet that doubles as a board-disruption piece against token-light opponents.
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 |
Commander is where Merciless Executioner earns its keep — hitting three opponents with a forced sacrifice is a three-for-one that no single-target removal can match, and black sacrifice loops make it recursible. In Legacy and Vintage it's too slow and too symmetrical to see play; the edict effect is outclassed by Liliana of the Veil and faster disruption. Modern and Pioneer are similarly hostile — four mana for an enter-the-battlefield edict is well behind the format's curve, and you're sacrificing a body too. Stick to Commander, where the multiplayer math makes Merciless Executioner a genuine threat every time it resolves.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Burakos, Party LeaderHaunted OneRelic of LegendsMerciless ExecutionerRetribution of the Ancients
Each opponent sacrifices all creatures they control; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite power for certain creatures until end of turn; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.60 bulk tier
At $0.60, Merciless Executioner is bulk, and that price reflects its narrow competitive appeal rather than its Commander power level. It's a safe pickup — demand in black sacrifice and forced-sacrifice Commander builds keeps steady pressure on supply without any spike risk.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Burakos, Party Leader
- Vincent Valentine
- Fumulus, the Infestation
- Sephiroth, Fabled SOLDIER
- Malik, Grim Manipulator
- Sauron, Lord of the Rings
- Haunted One
- Relic of Legends
- Retribution of the Ancients
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.