Spitting Dilophosaurus
Creature — Dinosaur
Whenever this creature enters or attacks, put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature.
Creatures your opponents control with -1/-1 counters on them can't block.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Jurassic World Collection
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #5352
Spitting Dilophosaurus enters the battlefield and immediately places a -1/-1 counter on any target creature, which is the entire point — you're not paying for a 3/3 body, you're paying for a repeatable trigger magnet that doubles as a removal piece. In Massacre Girl, Known Killer lists, it's close to mandatory: the enter-the-battlefield counter feeds her weaken trigger, and that chain is exactly the engine these decks are built around.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Massacre Girl, Known Killer
Massacre Girl, Known Killer runs Spitting Dilophosaurus in nearly 60% of decks because the enter-the-battlefield -1/-1 counter immediately triggers her weaken ability, snowballing into a board-wide cascade of additional counters whenever weakened creatures die.
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card every time a creature gets a -1/-1 counter, so Spitting Dilophosaurus entering the battlefield is a free loot attached to a 3/3 body — and any subsequent counter-spreading makes the engine even more obscene.
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons mints a 1/1 deathtouch Snake token whenever any creature receives a -1/-1 counter, so Spitting Dilophosaurus produces a token on entry and again every time it triggers off anything else stacking counters.
The Reaper, King No More
The Reaper, King No More wants -1/-1 counters distributed across the board to fuel sacrifice and recursive payoffs, and Spitting Dilophosaurus provides a low-cost, repeatable entry point for that distribution engine every time it or a copy enters.
Volrath, the Shapestealer
Volrath, the Shapestealer can copy any creature that has a counter on it, and Spitting Dilophosaurus conveniently tags a target on arrival — Volrath can immediately become a copy of that newly-weakened creature and keep the -1/-1 counter synergy chain going.
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 |
Commander is the obvious home for Spitting Dilophosaurus — the multiplayer environment means there are always valid targets for the enter-the-battlefield counter, and the counter-synergy commanders that love it are concentrated entirely in this format. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal, but a three-mana 3/3 that places a single -1/-1 counter does nothing those formats would ever pay for. Oathbreaker offers some of the same -1/-1-counter shells as Commander at a smaller scale, and the card is playable there if your signature spell or planeswalker leans into that theme. Everywhere else — Modern, Pioneer, Standard, Pauper — it's either outright illegal or outclassed by faster interaction at lower costs.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Spitting Dilophosaurus isn't currently available, so check your local game store or a major singles retailer for the current market rate. Given its narrow but genuine demand in Massacre Girl, Known Killer and Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons lists, it's worth picking up a copy if you're actively building those archetypes rather than waiting.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.