Scolding Administrator
Creature — Dwarf Cleric
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Repartee — Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell that targets a creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
When this creature dies, if it had counters on it, put those counters on up to one target creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven
- Price
- $0.17
- EDHREC rank
- #20524
Scolding Administrator puts a steady tax on opponents' activated abilities — the kind of pressure that compounds over a long game without asking much in return. The cost is real: it does nothing the turn it enters and blanks entirely against decks that win through combat or spells alone. Run it when your meta is riddled with mana sink commanders; leave it on the shelf otherwise.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Killian, Ink Duelist
Killian, Ink Duelist discounts Auras and targeted spells, and Scolding Administrator fits cleanly into the Orzhov shell as a passive taxing piece that slows opposing mana engines while Killian pressures life totals — the combination makes opponents choose between paying the tax and leaving Killian's damage unchecked.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Scolding Administrator earns its slot in dedicated stax and taxation shells, where repeated activation taxes across three opponents compound into real tempo loss. Outside of that context it's too passive and too easy to ignore in a 100-card singleton format where fast decks are already winning before taxes bite. In constructed formats — Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy — it's not seeing meaningful play; one-off activated ability taxes are rarely worth a card slot when opponents can simply play around a single copy. Oathbreaker lands somewhere in between, where a smaller format and faster games make the passive even harder to justify unless the metagame is specifically heavy on activated commanders.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.17 bulk tier
At $0.17, Scolding Administrator is deep bulk — the kind of card you pull from a pile rather than buy. There's no meaningful price floor to maintain here; it'll stay in bulk range unless a dedicated stax archetype breaks into competitive Commander conversation, which is unlikely.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.