Su-Chi Cave Guard
Artifact Creature — Construct
Vigilance
Ward 
(Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays .)
When this creature dies, add eight 
. Until end of turn, you don't lose this mana as steps and phases end.
- CMC
- 8
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- The Brothers' War
- Price
- $0.12
- EDHREC rank
- #9241
Su-Chi Cave Guard is a four-mana 4/4 with ward that pays you four colorless mana when it dies — that death trigger is the whole reason it exists. The combo ceiling is real: pair it with Nim Deathmantle and a free sacrifice outlet and you have an infinite loop that Megatron, Tyrant exploits for unlimited damage.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Megatron, Tyrant
Megatron, Tyrant's ability to deal damage whenever you convert artifacts into Energon counters makes Su-Chi Cave Guard's death trigger a direct damage engine — recur it with Nim Deathmantle over a free sac outlet and every loop shoots the table.
Herigast, Erupting Nullkite
Herigast, Erupting Nullkite rewards you for casting expensive colorless creatures from exile, and Su-Chi Cave Guard's four-mana death payout offsets the casting cost almost entirely, making it one of the most mana-efficient bodies in the deck.
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 |
Commander is where Su-Chi Cave Guard earns its slot — the death trigger generates enough mana to fuel artifact recursion loops, and the ward 2 makes it annoying to remove before you can set one up. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but outclassed; there are faster ways to generate colorless mana or assemble combo pieces than a four-mana creature. Modern and Pioneer offer more linear artifact synergies, but Su-Chi Cave Guard's payoff requires a dedicated sacrifice shell to matter, and those formats move too fast to support that setup without dedicated support. Stick to Commander unless you're specifically building around it.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Nim DeathmantleAshnod's AltarSu-Chi Cave Guard
Infinite colorless mana; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Nim DeathmantleKrark-Clan IronworksSu-Chi Cave Guard
Infinite colorless mana; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Cogwork AssemblerSu-Chi Cave GuardAshnod's Altar
Infinite colorless mana; Infinite copies of artifacts you control; Infinite creature tokens with haste; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Urza, Prince of KroogSu-Chi Cave GuardAshnod's Altar
Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite colorless mana; Infinite creature copies of artifacts you control; Infinite creature tokens; Infinite death triggers; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Cogwork AssemblerSu-Chi Cave GuardKrark-Clan Ironworks
Infinite colorless mana; Infinite copies of artifacts you control; Infinite creature tokens with haste; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.12 bulk tier
At $0.12, Su-Chi Cave Guard is bulk — pick up as many as you need without a second thought. Bulk combo pieces rarely spike unless a format-breaking deck adopts them en masse, so the price is stable at the floor.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Nim Deathmantle
- Megatron, Tyrant
- Herigast, Erupting Nullkite
- Ashnod's Altar
- Krark-Clan Ironworks
- Cogwork Assembler
- Urza, Prince of Kroog
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.