Ojutai Exemplars
Creature — Human Monk
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, choose one —
• Tap target creature.
• This creature gains first strike and lifelink until end of turn.
• Exile this creature, then return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Dragons of Tarkir
- Price
- $0.40
- EDHREC rank
- #15250
Ojutai Exemplars rewrites combat math the moment it's in play — first strike, lifelink, or a Fog effect on demand every time you cast a noncreature spell, which in a spells-heavy deck means every single turn. The cost is four mana for a 4/4 with no immediate board impact, so if the spells aren't already flowing, it's just a vanilla body.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Archimandrite
The Archimandrite triggers whenever you cast a multicolored spell, and Ojutai Exemplars turns each of those triggers into a protected, first-striking lifelinker or a combat lock — the two cards stack into a self-reinforcing engine where every multicolored spell both advances the board and buffs a threat.
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 |
Ojutai Exemplars is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker. In Commander it gets the most mileage — a four-mana creature that generates incremental value off the spell-casting you're already doing fits perfectly in Azorius or five-color spell-slinger lists. In Pioneer and Modern, the four-mana slot is brutally competitive and the Exemplars' abilities, while relevant, aren't fast enough to matter before the game ends. Legacy and Vintage have the same problem compounded — four mana is an eternity, and the triggered abilities don't close games. Commander is where it actually earns a roster spot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.40 bulk tier
At $0.40, Ojutai Exemplars sits firmly in bulk territory — pick it up without thinking about cost. Bulk mythics with niche Commander applications like this one tend to stay cheap indefinitely, so there's no urgency beyond just wanting to play it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.