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Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter

Legendary Creature — Vampire

Flying, lifelink
Sacrifice a creature: Put X +1/+1 counters on Vish Kal, where X is the sacrificed creature's power.
Remove all +1/+1 counters from Vish Kal: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each +1/+1 counter removed this way.

CMC
7
Mana cost
{4}{W}{B}{B}
Color identity
BW
Rarity
rare
Set
Double Masters
Price
$0.66
EDHREC rank
#15479
Buy on TCGplayer
Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter card art
Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter is a flying, lifelink threat that eats creatures and redistributes their power as +1/+1 counters, then spends those counters to zero out any target's toughness — a repeatable removal engine stapled to a body. The cost is real: eight mana is a lot, and the sac-to-shrink ability telegraphs itself as a sorcery-speed line that opponents can answer before it resolves. Pair it with Mikaeus, the Unhallowed for an infinite-loop kill, but going in blind it's a late-game value piece, not a threat that warps the board on arrival.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is the only format where Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter belongs — its eight-mana cost is prohibitive in Legacy or Vintage, where it's technically legal but will never see a table. In Commander it slots in as either the general or a late-game finisher in Orzhov sacrifice and +1/+1 counter shells, where the abundance of token fodder and life-gain payoffs justify the investment. Oathbreaker is theoretically legal but eight mana for a signature-spell-adjacent piece is a non-starter in that format's faster game.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.66 bulk tier

At $0.66, Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter sits firmly in bulk territory — cheap enough to slot in without hesitation if the synergy is there. Bulk rares with niche combo applications tend to hold a floor rather than climb, so don't expect the price to move meaningfully unless a breakout build puts it in the spotlight.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.