Sunscorch Regent
Creature — Dragon
Flying
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature and you gain 1 life.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Dragons of Tarkir
- Price
- $1.02
- EDHREC rank
- #1665
Sunscorch Regent enters as a 4/3 flier and scales into a legitimate threat on its own — every spell your opponents cast pumps it and pads your life total. At five mana in white, it demands a life-gain shell to justify the slot, and Karlov of the Ghost Council decks supply exactly that payoff loop.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Karlov of the Ghost Council
Sunscorch Regent triggers Karlov of the Ghost Council's counter ability every time an opponent casts a spell, turning a multiplayer table into a constant growth engine for both cards simultaneously.
Trelasarra, Moon Dancer
Every life-gain trigger from Sunscorch Regent feeds Trelasarra, Moon Dancer's scry-and-counter ability, so a single opponent's spell advances both the Regent's power and Trelasarra's board presence at once.
Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn
Sunscorch Regent generates life gain on opponents' turns — exactly when Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn distributes +1/+1 counters — meaning the Regent grows itself while fueling Lathiel's end-step distribution across the team.
Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener
Sunscorch Regent accumulates +1/+1 counters naturally, which lets Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener double them the turn it attacks, converting passive growth from opponents' spells into a sudden lethal threat.
Heliod, Sun-Crowned
Each life-gain trigger from Sunscorch Regent gives Heliod, Sun-Crowned an opening to distribute a +1/+1 counter, and in a multiplayer game with multiple opponents casting spells, that adds up to a heavily padded board within a few turns.
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 |
Sunscorch Regent is a Commander card through and through — its power scales directly with the number of opponents casting spells, which makes a four-player table the ideal environment. In one-on-one formats like Modern, Pioneer, or Legacy, it's too slow and too conditional at five mana; aggressive decks are already closing the game before the Regent grows meaningful. Competitive players in those formats have no reason to look at it. Commander is where it earns its keep, specifically in life-gain strategies where every counter and every point of life feeds a wider engine.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.02 cheap tier
At $1.02, Sunscorch Regent sits firmly in budget-staple territory — no hesitation needed for life-gain Commander builds. It's a bulk rare, so the price is unlikely to move unless a high-profile reprint or new life-gain commander drives a sudden demand spike.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.