Phalanx Leader
Creature — Human Soldier
Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Magic Online Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #11192
Phalanx Leader turns every targeted spell into a board-wide pump, and in Feather, the Redeemed decks where you're slinging the same spells every turn cycle, those counters stack fast. Two mana for a Human Soldier that scales your whole team is the deal — the cost is that it does nothing without a board and a target.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Feather, the Redeemed
Feather, the Redeemed recycles instants and sorceries back to hand every turn, so Phalanx Leader doesn't just trigger once — it triggers every time you point a cantrip or protection spell at any creature you control, eventually growing your entire team out of removal range.
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 |
Phalanx Leader is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker. Commander is where it actually sees play, almost exclusively in Feather, the Redeemed builds that can guarantee repeated targeting triggers. In competitive 60-card formats it's outclassed — heroic payoffs demand more immediate impact than a slow counter accumulation engine, and neither Modern nor Pioneer aggro strategies have the patience for it. Outside of the Feather shell, it's a fringe pick even in Commander.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available for Phalanx Leader at the moment — check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for a current figure. Given its narrow competitive home and Commander-only relevance, it has historically sat well under a dollar, making it an easy pickup if you're building Feather, the Redeemed.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.