Card
Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
Mana cost {1}{B}{R}
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Minion 5/5
Xantcha enters under the control of an opponent of your choice. Xantcha attacks each combat if able and can't attack its owner or planeswalkers its owner controls. {3}: Xantcha's controller loses 2 life and you draw a card. Any player may activate this ability.
No bracket restriction: playable from bracket 1. Part of 4 known combos. 6 official rulings.
- Commander
- Legal
- Printing
- Rare · C18 · #50
- Cheapest printing
- €1.04
- EDHREC salt
- 0.41
- Color identity
- Black, Red
Bracket
- B1 Exhibition — allowed: No restriction at this bracket
- B2 Core — allowed: No restriction at this bracket
- B3 Upgraded — allowed: No restriction at this bracket
- B4 Optimized — allowed: No restriction beyond the banned list
- B5 cEDH — allowed: No restriction beyond the banned list
Why
- No Game Changer, mass land denial, extra turn, tutor or two-card combo
How Lotus Vault estimates a bracket
Bracket: Lotus Vault analysis, with Commander Spellbook flags
Combos
4 known combos.
- Cadaverous Bloom + Zirda, the Dawnwaker + Xantcha, Sleeper Agent
Produces: Infinite draw triggers, Near-infinite black mana, Near-infinite card draw
View on Commander Spellbook - Xantcha, Sleeper Agent + Mind Over Matter + Thran Dynamo
Produces: Infinite draw triggers, Infinite lifeloss for target opponent, Infinite looting
View on Commander Spellbook - Xantcha, Sleeper Agent + Mind Over Matter + Grim Monolith
Produces: Infinite draw triggers, Infinite lifeloss for target opponent, Infinite looting
View on Commander Spellbook
Combos: Commander Spellbook
Rulings
- 2019-08-23 · Wizards of the Coast
In a multiplayer game, if Xantcha's owner leaves the game, Xantcha leaves the game with them. If Xantcha's controller leaves the game, Xantcha is exiled. This is a change from previous rulings due to Xantcha's updated wording. - 2018-07-13 · Wizards of the Coast
Xantcha's controller may activate its last ability. In this case, the same player loses 2 life and draws a card. - 2018-07-13 · Wizards of the Coast
Xantcha's first ability is a replacement effect that modifies how it enters the battlefield, not a triggered ability. Players can't take actions (such as activating its last ability) while Xantcha's on the battlefield before it's controlled by another player. - 2018-07-13 · Wizards of the Coast
The player who draws a card when Xantcha's last ability resolves is the player who activated the ability. - 2018-07-13 · Wizards of the Coast
If a player creates a token that's a copy of Xantcha, the player who creates the token is its owner, not the player under whose control it enters the battlefield. This is a change from previous rules. - 2018-07-13 · Wizards of the Coast
If Xantcha can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped or having come under that player's control that turn), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.
Rulings: Scryfall · Wizards of the Coast