Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator
Creature — Human Rogue Werewolf // Creature — Werewolf
At the beginning of each upkeep, if no spells were cast last turn, transform this creature.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Innistrad
- Price
- $0.23
- EDHREC rank
- #17696
Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator is a one-mana 1/1 that flips into a 3/2 trampler the moment no one plays a spell on the first turn cycle — in practice, that's a 3/2 on turn two for one mana. Tovolar, Dire Overlord counts it as a Wolf on both faces, so it draws cards and pressures life totals earlier than almost any other threat in the archetype.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Tovolar, Dire Overlord
Tovolar, Dire Overlord triggers off Wolves and Werewolves attacking, and Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator is one of the cheapest ways to put a transformed threat on the board before most decks have interaction — one mana for a 3/2 trample that immediately qualifies for Tovolar's card-draw engine is exactly what the archetype wants in the one-drop slot.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator is a role-player rather than a staple — it belongs specifically in Werewolf tribal and does little outside that shell. Legacy, Vintage, and Modern all have access to it, but aggressive red decks in those formats have better one-drops that don't depend on opponents passing without casting spells, so it sees essentially no play there. The transform condition is genuinely harder to meet in competitive 60-card formats where opponents are casting spells on turn one consistently. Commander's multiplayer structure and slower average pace make the flip more reliable, which is the one context where Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator earns its slot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.23 bulk tier
At $0.23, Reckless Waif // Merciless Predator sits firmly in bulk territory, and there's no pressure on that price — Werewolf tribal is a niche Commander archetype with a limited ceiling on demand. Pick up copies freely; there's no meaningful financial downside.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Tovolar, Dire Overlord
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.