Zareth San, the Trickster
Legendary Creature — Merfolk Rogue
Flash
, Return an unblocked attacking Rogue you control to its owner's hand: Put this card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
Whenever Zareth San deals combat damage to a player, you may put target permanent card from that player's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BU
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Zendikar Rising
- Price
- $0.38
- EDHREC rank
- #10007
Zareth San, the Trickster steals permanents directly from opponents' graveyards whenever it connects — a repeatable threat that grows stronger as the game goes longer. The cost is real: you need an unblocked Rogue already in combat to swap it in, which means Zareth San rewards dedicated Rogue strategies like Anowon, the Ruin Thief rather than generic goodstuff lists.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Anowon, the Ruin Thief
Anowon, the Ruin Thief mills opponents every time Rogues connect, which stacks the graveyards that Zareth San, the Trickster plunders — the two cards form the backbone of the same engine. Nearly 70% of Anowon decks run Zareth San for exactly this reason.
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
Kamiz, Obscura Oculus makes one attacker unblockable each combat, which is precisely the trigger condition Zareth San, the Trickster needs to swap in and steal a permanent. Connive also mills, so Kamiz quietly fills graveyards for Zareth San to pick through.
Sygg, River Cutthroat
Sygg, River Cutthroat rewards connecting with multiple creatures by drawing cards, and Zareth San, the Trickster slips into that flow as both a Rogue threat and a graveyard payoff. The two share the same attack-matters axis, making Zareth San a natural include.
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 Zareth San, the Trickster lives — the multiplayer environment means opponents' graveyards fill fast, and the permanent types worth stealing (planeswalkers, enchantments, high-CMC creatures) are plentiful. In Legacy and Vintage, a four-mana 4/4 that requires setup to trigger simply can't compete with the raw efficiency of those formats. Modern and Pioneer are theoretically legal but offer no competitive home — Zareth San's ability is too slow and conditional for those battlefields. Oathbreaker is the one alternate format worth mentioning: as a spellslinger variant with smaller life totals, the tempo cost of paying four mana and needing an unblocked attacker is too steep to make Zareth San a meaningful player there either.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.38 bulk tier
At $0.38, Zareth San, the Trickster sits firmly in bulk territory despite near-68% inclusion in Anowon decks — wide reprinting and low casual demand outside Rogue tribal keeps the price suppressed. It's a safe pickup with no realistic downside at this price point, though don't expect significant appreciation.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Anowon, the Ruin Thief
- Kamiz, Obscura Oculus
- Sygg, River Cutthroat
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.