Nighthowler
Enchantment Creature — Horror
Bestow 
(If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached.)
This creature and enchanted creature each get +X/+X, where X is the number of creature cards in all graveyards.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Zendikar Rising Commander
- Price
- $0.31
- EDHREC rank
- #4085
Nighthowler enters as a potentially massive creature and can bestow that bulk onto any attacker, all for two black mana plus its bestow cost — the floor is low, the ceiling is enormous in any deck milling opponents. Captain N'ghathrod builds the graveyard count faster than almost any commander, which means Nighthowler reliably lands as a double-digit threat.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Captain N'ghathrod
Captain N'ghathrod mills opponents every combat, and Nighthowler's power scales off every creature in every graveyard — the two cards form a self-reinforcing engine where each attack makes the Howler bigger. At 62% inclusion across over 17,000 decks, it's one of the most automatic includes in the archetype.
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord sacrifices creatures to deal damage equal to their power, so a Nighthowler swollen by a stocked graveyard can close out the table in a single activation. The Howler also survives the sacrifice loop as an Aura, rebirthing the combo opportunity.
Phenax, God of Deception
Phenax, God of Deception turns a creature's toughness into mill fuel, and Nighthowler's +X/+X applies to toughness as well — a well-fed Howler can mill an opponent's entire library in one tap. The synergy is bidirectional: Phenax fills graveyards, graveyards grow the Howler, the Howler mills more.
Old Stickfingers
Old Stickfingers digs creatures directly into the graveyard on cast, immediately inflating Nighthowler's bonus before it even hits the battlefield. The commander's own CMC scales with creatures already in the yard, so both cards reward the same resource.
Anowon, the Ruin Thief
Anowon, the Ruin Thief mills opponents on every successful Rogue attack, and Nighthowler bestowed onto an unblockable Rogue turns each hit into a progressively larger threat. The inclusion rate sits at 23% — solid for a non-Rogue in a tribal shell that has tribal alternatives competing for the slot.
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 Nighthowler actually earns its slot — four players means four graveyards contributing to its count, and the format's slower pace lets bestow resolve without immediately dying to a counterspell. In Modern and Pioneer it's a fringe consideration in dredge-adjacent shells, but combat-damage-based threats compete poorly with direct combo payoffs in those formats. Legacy and Vintage are too fast for a three-mana bestow creature that doesn't immediately affect the board. Nighthowler is a Commander card, full stop.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.31 bulk tier
At $0.31, Nighthowler is deep bulk — you can pick up a copy as an afterthought in any order. The price is unlikely to spike given multiple printings and low constructed demand, so there's no urgency and no premium for foils.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.