Rakdos Ringleader
Creature — Skeleton Warrior
First strike
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card at random.
: Regenerate this creature.
- CMC
- 6
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BR
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Return to Ravnica
- Price
- $0.09
- EDHREC rank
- #25098
Rakdos Ringleader hits the board as a 3/1 first striker that forces each opponent to discard a card whenever it deals combat damage — repeated, symmetry-breaking hand disruption stapled to a body. The five-mana price tag is steep for a 3/1, so it earns its slot only in decks built to keep it swinging.
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 |
In Commander, Rakdos Ringleader scales well because each connection forces a discard from every opponent simultaneously, turning a single swing into three discard triggers at a four-player table. It's most at home in dedicated discard or Rakdos aggro builds where the damage is near-guaranteed rather than speculative. In competitive formats like Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer, a five-mana 3/1 with no immediate board impact is simply too slow — those formats kill you before Rakdos Ringleader ever connects. Vintage and Oathbreaker are technically legal but face the same speed problem; neither format is where this card wants to be.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.09 bulk tier
At $0.09, Rakdos Ringleader is deep bulk — you're acquiring it for pennies in a trade binder or as a throw-in. There's no reason to expect the price to move meaningfully; it fills a narrow role and sees limited competitive play, so buy it for the effect, not for any future upside.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.