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Nether Traitor

Creature — Spirit

Haste
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Whenever another creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay {B}. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield.

CMC
2
Mana cost
{B}{B}
Color identity
B
Rarity
rare
Set
Secrets of Strixhaven Commander
Price
$1.37
EDHREC rank
#2607
Buy on TCGplayer
Nether Traitor card art
Nether Traitor is a one-card combo enabler — its haste and free recurrence turn any sacrifice outlet into a repeatable loop without additional setup. Pair it with Phyrexian Altar and Dina, Essence Brewer and you have an infinite drain engine for two black mana and one other creature dying first.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

02
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor

Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor

58.3% of decks · synergy 0.50

Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor wants cheap black creatures that keep coming back, and Nether Traitor fits perfectly — each recurrence costs just one black mana and triggers Gix's combat damage payoffs repeatedly when the Traitor swings in with haste.

03
Rev, Tithe Extractor

Rev, Tithe Extractor

55.6% of decks · synergy 0.47

Rev, Tithe Extractor drains opponents whenever permanents leave play, so Nether Traitor's self-recurring death loop translates directly into repeated life loss without needing any extra payoff stapled on.

04
Gonti, Night Minister

Gonti, Night Minister

53.1% of decks · synergy 0.45

Gonti, Night Minister rewards stacking sacrifice triggers, and Nether Traitor's shadow means it can sneak in for combat damage between loops while still returning every time another creature dies.

05
Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

44.9% of decks · synergy 0.36

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician needs cheap creatures that survive the grind, and Nether Traitor's built-in recursion means you can sacrifice it to Yawgmoth, proliferate, and get it back immediately for just one black mana.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Nether Traitor does its real work — sacrifice-loop decks are abundant, and a two-mana shadow creature that returns itself for one black mana is exactly the repeatable fuel those engines need. In Legacy and Vintage, Nether Traitor sees occasional fringe play in reanimator or Cabal Therapy shells that want cheap recursive bodies, but it's never been a format staple in either. Modern has faster, more resilient recursive threats, so Nether Traitor sits at the margins there — playable but rarely the best option. Pioneer, Standard, and Pauper are off the table entirely.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$1.37 cheap tier

At $1.37, Nether Traitor is a cheap pickup for the combo potential it delivers — any card that anchors multiple infinite loops in Commander has historically held or grown from this price floor. It's an easy include before it finds its way onto a reprint list.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.