Smolder Initiate
Creature — Elemental Shaman
Whenever a player casts a black spell, you may pay 
. If you do, target player loses 1 life.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Shadowmoor
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #27076
Smolder Initiate drains each opponent for 1 every time a player casts a black spell — in multiplayer Commander, that triggers constantly and adds up fast. A one-mana body that generates free life loss across three opponents is exactly the kind of cheap, passive pressure black-heavy decks want.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Smolder Initiate does its best work — three opponents mean three drain triggers every time anyone at the table casts a black spell, including your own, and black is one of the most-played colors in the format. In Pauper it's legal but competes with more efficient one-drops and lacks the multi-opponent math that makes it shine. Legacy and Vintage are non-starters; the card doesn't interact at the speed those formats demand. Smolder Initiate is a Commander card wearing a universal-legality badge.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Smolder Initiate is deep bulk — you're picking this out of a dollar box, not tracking a buylist. That price is stable because the card has a narrow home and no competitive demand pulling it up.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.