Karlach, Fury of Avernus — Magic: The Gathering card

Karlach, Fury of Avernus

{4}{R}
Legendary Creature — Tiefling Barbarian

Whenever you attack, if it's the first combat phase of the turn, untap all attacking creatures. They gain first strike until end of turn. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.

Choose a Background (You can have a Background as a second commander.)

Power/Toughness: 5/4

Set Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Rarity Mythic Rare
Mana Value 5
Artist Billy Christian
Collector # 186
Scryfall

Why Play Karlach, Fury of Avernus

Aggressive red decks and combat-focused strategies benefit enormously from the explosive turn potential Karlach provides. When you attack with multiple creatures, the ability to untap them all, grant first strike, and launch an immediate second combat creates devastating alpha strikes that can end games on the spot. The five mana cost means you'll typically deploy this on turns where you already have a meaningful board presence, turning moderate attacks into lethal damage. Choose a Background makes Karlach particularly appealing as a commander in the 99 of aggressive builds seeking redundant extra combat effects.

Format Notes

Commander represents Karlach's primary competitive home, where the multiplayer format and higher life totals provide time to set up explosive combat turns. The Choose a Background ability makes this an excellent commander option paired with aggressive backgrounds like Haunted One or Folk Hero. Legacy and Vintage legality exists but sees minimal play due to the five mana cost competing with faster combo strategies in those formats.

Combos & Synergies

Combat Celebrant and Aurelia, the Warleader create redundant extra combat effects while benefiting from Karlach's first strike and untap abilities. Hellrider and Purphoros, God of the Forge maximize damage output across multiple combat phases by triggering twice per turn cycle. Token generators like Krenko, Mob Boss pair exceptionally well since wide boards multiply both the first strike value and the additional combat damage potential.

Learn More

Creature First Strike Commander Legacy Vintage