Minister of Pain
Creature — Human Shaman
Exploit (When this creature enters, you may sacrifice a creature.)
When this creature exploits a creature, creatures your opponents control get -1/-1 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Dragons of Tarkir
- Price
- $0.15
- EDHREC rank
- #24517
Minister of Pain enters and immediately shrinks every creature your opponents control by -1/-1 until end of turn, often wiping out token boards or finishing off weakened creatures without spending a single mana beyond its casting cost. At three mana for a 2/3 with a relevant enters-the-battlefield trigger, it's a solid role-player in any black deck that cares about repeated ETB effects or aristocrats-style token denial.
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 |
Minister of Pain sees virtually no play in competitive formats like Legacy or Modern, where a three-mana 2/3 with a soft board effect can't compete with the density of threats and answers available. In Pioneer it's similarly outclassed. Commander is where Minister of Pain earns its keep — decks built around Grixis or Dimir flicker, ETB abuse, or aristocrats loops can trigger its effect repeatedly, turning a modest -1/-1 pulse into a recurring board-control tool that keeps token strategies in check. It's a niche piece, not a staple, but in the right shell it does real work.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.15 bulk tier
At $0.15, Minister of Pain is pure bulk — the kind of card you grab as a throw-in without thinking twice. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price point don't move, so don't expect any appreciation; just pick it up when you need it and move on.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.