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Netherborn Altar

{1}{B}

Artifact

PLSTThe List#C20-45rare

It is spoken of only in whispers, visited only by the desperate.

Finishes
Nonfoil
Border
black
Security stamp
oval
Frame
2015
Pull rate
~1 in 764–1200
Illustrator
Titus Lunter
Found in
Wilds of Eldraine Set Booster Pack · The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Set Booster Pack · Commander Masters Set Booster Pack
Printings2EDHREC rank#9,577
CommanderLegalModernNot legalStandardNot legal
Format legality

Constructed

StandardNot legal
PioneerNot legal
ModernNot legal
LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
PauperNot legal

Commander

CommanderLegal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
Duel CommanderLegal
PreDHNot legal
OathbreakerLegal
Tiny LeadersLegal

Arena

AlchemyNot legal
HistoricNot legal
TimelessNot legal
BrawlNot legal
Standard BrawlNot legal
Competitive BrawlNot legal
GladiatorNot legal

Other

PremodernNot legal
Old SchoolNot legal
Penny DreadfulNot legal
Future StandardNot legal
{T}, Put a soul counter on this artifact: Put your commander into your hand from the command zone. Then you lose 3 life for each soul counter on this artifact.
Plays as:
Life OutletCommander Synergy
Market · per finishspark updated 1h ago · prices as of 2026-08-30
Nonfoil+2.2%
$0.47
$0.30 low-$0.22 gapTCGplayer
Cheapest playable copy$0.43· across 2 printings· view the cheapest printing ›

Rulings

5 · latest Apr 17, 2020
  • WotCApr 17, 2020

    If Netherborn Altar leaves the battlefield while its ability is on the stack, the amount of life you lose is determined by the number of soul counters it had on it immediately before it left the battlefield.

  • WotCApr 17, 2020

    If you have two commanders in the command zone, Netherborn Altar’s ability puts one of your choice into your hand, not both.

  • WotCApr 17, 2020

    If your commander isn’t in the command zone (or if you’re not playing the Commander variant), Netherborn Altar only makes you lose life.

  • WotCApr 17, 2020

    Putting a soul counter onto Netherborn Altar is part of the cost to activate its ability, and counting the number of soul counters is done as the ability resolves. Players may take actions between those times to change the number of soul counters, perhaps by removing them all so that you lose no life.

  • WotCApr 17, 2020

    The “commander tax” increases based on how many times a commander was cast from the command zone. Casting a commander from your hand doesn’t require that additional cost, and it doesn’t increase what the cost will be the next time you cast that commander from the command zone.