Xathrid Slyblade
Creature — Human Assassin
Hexproof (This creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)
: Until end of turn, this creature loses hexproof and gains first strike and deathtouch. (It deals combat damage before creatures without first strike. Any amount of damage it deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Magic 2015
- Price
- $0.19
- EDHREC rank
- #24723
Xathrid Slyblade enters as a 1/1 with hexproof and first strike, then pays two mana and discards a card to permanently gain deathtouch — a three-keyword threat that opponents can't easily target and that trades up with anything it blocks. The discard cost is real, but a hexproof deathtouch first striker for three mana is a legitimate combat deterrent.
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 |
In Commander, Xathrid Slyblade earns its slot in black voltron and equipment strategies — hexproof makes suiting it up safe, and first strike plus deathtouch is one of the strongest combat keyword combinations in the format. Outside Commander, it's legal in Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, and Vintage, but none of those formats have any interest in a three-mana 1/1 that needs an additional investment to reach its ceiling. This is a Commander card through and through.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.19 bulk tier
At $0.19, Xathrid Slyblade is pure bulk — easy to acquire and easy to cut without regret. The price reflects its narrow application rather than its actual in-format power, so if it fits your strategy, there's no reason not to pick one up.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.