Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
Legendary Planeswalker — Nixilis
+2: Each opponent loses 1 life. You gain life equal to the life lost this way.
−2: Create a 5/5 black Demon creature token with flying. You lose 2 life.
−8: You get an emblem with "
, Sacrifice a creature: You gain X life and draw X cards, where X is the sacrificed creature's power."
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath can be your commander.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Commander 2014
- Price
- $1.64
- EDHREC rank
- #9104
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath hits the table and immediately threatens a 5/5 flying demon token every turn while draining the table for life — five mana is the only real ask. Carth the Lion pushes him over the top by letting his loyalty tick up faster, but even outside that shell he earns his slot on raw value alone.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Carth the Lion
Carth the Lion's passive adds an extra loyalty counter to every activation, which means Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath reaches his emblem at a pace opponents can't reasonably race — the combination of a recurring 5/5 threat and an accelerated ultimate makes this one of Carth's most reliable planeswalker packages.
Ardyn, the Usurper
Ardyn, the Usurper leans on sacrifice and life-loss payoffs, and Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath supplies both — the token-plus-life-loss loop feeds Ardyn's triggers while the emblem's passive life drain closes out attrition games that Ardyn is already built to win.
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 |
Commander is where Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath actually lives — four opponents means his minus-two's life drain scales up, and the slower pace of the format gives him time to tick toward his emblem. In Legacy and Vintage he's legal but effectively invisible; five mana for a planeswalker with no immediate board protection doesn't compete in those formats. Oathbreaker is the one fringe case worth noting: as the oathbreaker himself, his minus-two and ultimate become your game plan from the command zone, which is a legitimate niche.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.64 cheap tier
At $1.64, Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath sits firmly in budget territory — easy to pick up without a second thought. That price reflects his narrow demand rather than any lack of power; he's a Commander-only card and likely stays in this range unless a high-profile deck puts him on the map.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.