Nils, Discipline Enforcer
Legendary Creature — Human Cleric
At the beginning of your end step, for each player, put a +1/+1 counter on up to one target creature that player controls.
Each creature with one or more counters on it can't attack you or planeswalkers you control unless its controller pays 
, where X is the number of counters on that creature.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven Commander
- Price
- $0.41
- EDHREC rank
- #4087
Nils, Discipline Enforcer locks down opponents' creatures by placing -1/-1 counters on anything that swings at you, turning your board into a punishment tax that compounds every combat. The effect is immediate and free once he's in play, and Kros, Defense Contractor pairs with him so naturally — both cards traffic in counter placement and redirected aggression — that Nils reads like a missing puzzle piece for that archetype.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kros, Defense Contractor
Kros, Defense Contractor hands out +1/+1 counters to opponents' creatures as a political tool, and Nils, Discipline Enforcer punishes anyone who turns those gifted creatures sideways at you — the two together make attacking into your board a losing proposition that forces opponents to swing elsewhere or eat the penalty.
Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage
Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage goads opponents' creatures into attacking, and Nils, Discipline Enforcer ensures that anything pointed at you pays a -1/-1 counter for the privilege, turning Baeloth's forced aggression into a slow attrition engine against the creatures you don't control.
Gluntch, the Bestower
Gluntch, the Bestower floods the table with gifts and counters each upkeep, and Nils, Discipline Enforcer closes the loop by penalizing any opponent who decides to cash in their buffed creatures against you — keeping the political détente Gluntch wants intact through deterrence.
Breena, the Demagogue
Breena, the Demagogue rewards opponents for attacking each other, and Nils, Discipline Enforcer applies a stiff tax to anyone who breaks from that arrangement and hits you instead, protecting Breena while steering combat exactly where the deck wants it to go.
Shadrix Silverquill
Shadrix Silverquill distributes tokens and counters across the table as political currency, and Nils, Discipline Enforcer defends the position by shrinking anything that swings into you — a clean defensive layer for a commander that often leaves itself exposed while playing kingmaker.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Nils, Discipline Enforcer is a Commander card through and through — the political texture of multiplayer is what makes his deterrent ability matter, because in a one-on-one game an opponent simply attacks elsewhere or removes him immediately. In Legacy and Vintage he's legal but irrelevant; neither format has room for a three-mana 1/4 whose value is incremental and relational rather than explosive. Oathbreaker offers a multiplayer environment where he can function, though the smaller deck size and faster pace compress his window considerably. The honest answer is that Nils was designed for Commander and performs almost exclusively there.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.41 bulk tier
At $0.41, Nils, Discipline Enforcer sits firmly in bulk territory — an easy pickup that won't strain any budget. Given that he sees meaningful play in Kros and Gluntch decks but has no broader competitive demand driving the price up, that bulk floor is where he'll stay.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Kros, Defense Contractor
- Baeloth Barrityl, Entertainer // Noble Heritage
- Gluntch, the Bestower
- Breena, the Demagogue
- Shadrix Silverquill
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.