Is Shao Jun good in Commander?

Shao Jun

Legendary Creature — Human Assassin

Leap Strike — During your turn, Shao Jun has flying and first strike.
Rope Dart — Tap two untapped artifacts you control: Shao Jun deals 1 damage to each opponent.

CMC: 3
Mana cost
Color identity: RU
Rarity: uncommon
Set: Assassin's Creed
Price: —
EDHREC rank: #7447

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Shao Jun puts immediate pressure on the board — a 2/2 with evasion that rewards you for connecting with the right targets, turning combat damage into card advantage or disruption at minimal mana investment. The cost is a design that demands a cooperative gameplan: Shao Jun wants a pirate-heavy or Assassin-synergy shell to reach full power, and she's a genuine liability in a vacuum. Pair her with Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator or Ezio Auditore da Firenze and she earns her slot; run her alone and she's an expensive 2/2.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

Ezio Auditore da Firenze

38.0% of decks · synergy 0.37

Ezio Auditore da Firenze is the natural home — both cards reward targeting specific opponents' creatures, and Shao Jun's triggered ability stacks directly with Ezio's assassination theme to apply multi-angle pressure every combat step.

Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator

24.6% of decks · synergy 0.24

The Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator partner pairing wants bodies that connect with multiple opponents, and Shao Jun's evasion makes her a reliable trigger for Malcolm's treasure generation while Kediss multiplies the damage across the table.

Edward Kenway

22.9% of decks · synergy 0.22

Edward Kenway's Pirate tribal shell values every unblocked attacker it can field, and Shao Jun slots in as a low-cost evasive threat that pulls double duty as a synergy piece whenever the deck floods the board with pirates.

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

Commander is where Shao Jun lives — she's designed around multiplayer politics and the ability to pick targets across three opponents, which is a mechanic that simply doesn't translate to one-on-one formats. In Legacy and Vintage she's technically legal but functionally unplayed; a 2/2 for two with conditional upside can't compete in formats defined by turn-one and turn-two kills. Oathbreaker is the one other format where Shao Jun is worth a look, particularly as a signature spell target in aggressive blue-black shells. For anything outside Commander, look elsewhere.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

1,396 decks