Slippery Scoundrel
Creature — Human Pirate
Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.)
As long as you have the city's blessing, this creature has hexproof and can't be blocked.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Rivals of Ixalan
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #15266
Slippery Scoundrel gives your Pirates unblockable the moment you have three of them attacking — which is exactly the condition Admiral Beckett Brass needs to fire its steal trigger. The cost is real: you need a board established before this does anything, so it's a payoff card, not an engine.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Admiral Beckett Brass
Admiral Beckett Brass needs three Pirates to connect to trigger its theft effect, and Slippery Scoundrel makes that happen by granting the whole crew unblockable once the condition is met — guaranteeing three hits in a single swing.
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator wants as many Pirates connecting as possible to generate mana and cast stolen spells, and Slippery Scoundrel ensures the whole attack resolves without blockers eating into those triggers.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Slippery Scoundrel is a Commander card through and through — the tribal payoff structure and the late-turn unblockable effect are calibrated for a 40-life multiplayer table where evasion decides whether a damage-based commander ever connects. In competitive formats like Modern or Legacy, a four-mana do-nothing-until-you-have-three-attackers enchantment doesn't clear the bar; those formats demand impact on the stack or board immediately. Pioneer is the same story — Slippery Scoundrel sits in a Pirates shell there, but the tap-out cost and delayed payoff make it a fringe consideration at best.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Slippery Scoundrel is deep bulk — you're paying less than a pack of gum for a card that's a genuine staple in Admiral Beckett Brass builds. At that price point there's essentially no downside to picking up a copy, and niche tribal demand keeps it from ever cratering further.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Admiral Beckett Brass
- Breeches, Brazen Plunderer // Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.