Shadow Urchin
Creature — Ouphe
Whenever this creature attacks, blight 1. (Put a -1/-1 counter on a creature you control.)
Whenever a creature you control with one or more counters on it dies, exile that many cards from the top of your library. Until your next end step, you may play those cards.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BR
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Lorwyn Eclipsed
- Price
- $0.34
- EDHREC rank
- #15139
Shadow Urchin enters tapped and deals 1 damage to each opponent on your upkeep — consistent chip damage that snowballs in a multiplayer pod. The Scorpion God turns every one of those pings into a -1/-1 counter, making Shadow Urchin a repeatable engine rather than a nuisance.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God converts Shadow Urchin's upkeep pings into -1/-1 counters on any target, then draws a card whenever something with a counter dies — so a single Urchin quietly fuels both the counter engine and the card advantage loop.
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch cares about opponents losing life through unconventional sources, and Shadow Urchin's passive upkeep drain hits all three opponents simultaneously — maximizing curse triggers without spending a card or a mana on your turn.
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 |
Shadow Urchin is legal across every major Constructed format but won't see play outside Commander — the rate is simply too slow for Legacy, Modern, or Pioneer, where a two-mana 1/1 that enters tapped and pings once per turn cycle is nowhere near competitive. In Commander, the multiplayer math redeems it: three opponents means three pings per upkeep, and in a long game that pressure compounds in ways a 1v1 format never rewards. It fits tightest in black-red -1/-1 counter shells and aristocrats lists that weaponize incremental life loss.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.34 bulk tier
At $0.34, Shadow Urchin is firmly bulk — the price of a throwaway rare filler, not a sought-after synergy piece. Bulk commons and uncommons at this price point rarely move unless a new commander breaks them wide open, so don't expect appreciation.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- The Scorpion God
- Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.