Vona, Butcher of Magan
Legendary Creature — Vampire Knight
Vigilance, lifelink
, Pay 7 life: Destroy target nonland permanent. Activate only during your turn.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BW
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Ixalan Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #5489
Vona, Butcher of Magan puts unconditional permanent removal on a 4/4 lifelink vigilance body — the activation costs 7 life, but vigilance means she attacks, gains it back, and still has the activation ready on your opponent's turn. The ceiling is real; the floor is a five-mana creature that dies to the same removal it threatens, which is why Licia, Sanguine Tribune shells that churn life totals get the most mileage out of her.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Licia, Sanguine Tribune
Licia, Sanguine Tribune decks run life-payment as a resource rather than a liability, so the 7-life cost on Vona, Butcher of Magan's activation is trivially offset by the life you're already gaining and spending to reduce Licia's commander tax.
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir cares about Knights, and Vona, Butcher of Magan is a Knight — she slots in as both a tribal body and a removal engine that rewards the lifegain Sidar decks generate naturally.
Cecil, Dark Knight
Cecil, Dark Knight is a Knight-tribal commander where the combination of Vona, Butcher of Magan's type, lifelink, and removal activation makes her one of the more functional utility pieces in the 99.
Clavileño, First of the Blessed
Clavileño, First of the Blessed runs a Vampire-tribal gameplan, and Vona, Butcher of Magan is a Vampire whose lifelink fuels the life cushion needed to activate her ability without putting yourself in danger.
Betor, Ancestor's Voice
Betor, Ancestor's Voice rewards incidental lifegain triggers, and Vona, Butcher of Magan's lifelink generates those on every attack — she pulls double duty as a threat and a slow but reliable removal piece.
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 Vona, Butcher of Magan actually earns her slot — the format's slower pace lets her vigilance-attack-gain-activate loop play out, and multiplayer threat density means unconditional permanent removal at instant speed is worth the life investment. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer she's a five-mana creature competing with formats that end games before she stabilizes, so she sees essentially no competitive play there. Vintage has the same problem compounded by the speed of the format. Oathbreaker is a viable home if your planeswalker generates life or wants repeatable removal as a signature spell target, but Commander is the clear primary format.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current pricing data for Vona, Butcher of Magan isn't available in this context, so check Scryfall or your preferred vendor for the live number. Historically she's been an affordable mythic — the kind of card that sits in the $1–3 range outside of spikes — so if you're in a Knights or Vampires shell, she's typically an easy pickup.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Licia, Sanguine Tribune
- Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
- Cecil, Dark Knight
- Clavileño, First of the Blessed
- Betor, Ancestor's Voice
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.