Shambling Swarm
Creature — Horror
When this creature dies, distribute three -1/-1 counters among one, two, or three target creatures. For each -1/-1 counter you put on a creature this way, remove a -1/-1 counter from that creature at the beginning of the next end step.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Torment
- Price
- $0.51
- EDHREC rank
- #24428
Shambling Swarm turns every creature it damages into a board wipe — at six mana for a 6/6 with deathtouch and trample, the rate is real. The overlap with Horobi, Death's Wail is where it gets absurd: any targeting effect instantly kills everything Horobi sees, and Shambling Swarm's trigger piles on.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Horobi, Death's Wail
Horobi, Death's Wail kills any creature that gets targeted, and Shambling Swarm's damage-triggers count as targeting — run both and your pings become a board clear that opponents can't easily outrace.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Shambling Swarm is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Legacy and Vintage have no interest in a six-mana creature that doesn't win immediately. Commander is the only home where Shambling Swarm's slow-burn engine has room to operate — multiplayer boards stay wide long enough that a deathtouch trampler threatening to cascade into mass removal actually applies pressure. In Oathbreaker it's a fringe pickup in -1/-1 counter or death-trigger shells that can cheat it out early.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.51 bulk tier
At $0.51, Shambling Swarm is bulk — cheap enough to throw into any Horobi, Death's Wail list without hesitation. Bulk rares with narrow homes tend to stay flat, so don't expect movement unless a high-profile deck pushes it.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.