The 40 Best Steal and Sacrifice Commanders in Magic Ranked

Sauron, the Lidless Eye | Illustration by Yigit Koroglu

One of my favorite strategies in both Constructed and Limited is steal and sac. There’s just something so satisfying about taking your opponent’s best creature, swinging in with it, and then sacrificing it for extra value, literally throwing their threats back against them!

Today, we’re diving into all the commanders that make this strategy shine. These are the legends that give you the tools to steal creatures and make sure they never make it back.

Intrigued? Let’s dive right in!

What Are Steal & Sac Commanders in MTG?

Yasova Dragonclaw | Illustration by Winona Nelson

Steal and sac commanders are all about temporarily taking your opponents’ creatures—then sacrificing them for value before they go back. Think of it like using Act of Treason to grab a creature, attacking with it, and then tossing it into something like Goblin Bombardment or Deadly Dispute. The goal is to get the most out of creatures you don’t even own.

This playstyle mainly shows up in red and blue, since those colors give you access to theft effects. That’s why you won’t see mono-black commanders like Yawgmoth, Thran Physician on this list—they’re great at sacrificing, but black doesn’t really steal creatures. However, with partner commanders or backgrounds, you can mix colors like red and blue into the mix, giving your sac engines the tools to also take control.

Also, it's worth pointing out that cards like Laughing Jasper Flint, while cool and kind of theft-themed, don’t really count as steal-and-sac. Jasper exiles cards from the top of an opponent’s library and lets you cast them—not quite the same as stealing something off the battlefield and throwing it into a furnace. This list focuses strictly on commanders that take control of enemy creatures in play or that serve as sacrifice payoffs.

#40. Grishnákh, Brash Instigator

When Grishnákh, Brash Instigator enters, you amass an Orc Army, then immediately steal something small from an opponent, just long enough to swing in with it. Cards like Goblin Bombardment push this cheeky little goblin into combo territory.

#39. Kethek, Crucible Goliath

With Kethek, Crucible Goliath, every end step becomes a little game of creature roulette. By sacrificing something you already have, Kethek digs through your library to cheat out a new, smaller creature straight onto the battlefield. It rewards curving down with creatures that have strong enter-the-battlefield effects like Solemn Simulacrum, and in the right build, this turns your board into a constantly evolving pile of value.

#38. Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar

Shadowheart, Dark Justiciar cashes in big creatures for big card draw. Its ability turns a creature into cards equal to the creature’s power, making it an excellent payoff for decks that run tokens or creatures with death triggers. Pair Shadowheart with cards like Kokusho, the Evening Star or Butcher of Malakir for even more upside when your creatures bite the dust. Add a good background, and you have a deadly draw engine to pair up with good Threaten effects.

#37. Lyzolda, the Blood Witch

Lyzolda, the Blood Witch rewards color devotion in a clever way. If you sacrifice a red creature, it deals damage; if it’s black, you draw a card. If it’s both? You get both effects. That makes cards like Rakdos Cackler or Gutterbones extra valuable in its deck.

#36. Gut, True Soul Zealot

Gut, True Soul Zealot turns every combat phase into a spooky skeleton party. By sacrificing any creature or artifact when you attack, Gut rewards you with a 4/1 menace skeleton that’s already swinging. It’s a fun twist on token generation, and works well with cards like Goblin Engineer or even disposable 1/1 tokens. Build around it with aggressive fodder and background value, and Gut brings a relentless tempo.

#35. Shattergang Brothers

When it comes to symmetrical sacrifice, few commanders go as deep as Shattergang Brothers. These three goblins force everyone to sacrifice creatures, artifacts, or enchantments—depending on what you give up. With cards like Bloodsoaked Champion, you can loop sacrifices while keeping pressure on your opponents, making them perfect for grindy, attrition-based decks that don’t mind throwing their own stuff under the bus.

#34. Ayara, Widow of the Realm

Ayara, Widow of the Realm brings a dual threat: on its front side, Ayara drains life based on the mana value of what you sacrifice. Then it transforms into Ayara, Furnace Queen and starts reanimating things for hasty damage bursts.

#33. Tymaret, the Murder King

If you like your graveyard full and your enemies bleeding, Tymaret, the Murder King has you covered. It’s a sac outlet that dishes out damage or just keeps coming back from the grave. It’s not flashy, but it is efficient and persistent.

#32. Akul the Unrepentant

Akul the Unrepentant demands a hefty price—three other creatures—but the payoff is cheating any creature from your hand straight onto the battlefield. This turns tokens into fuel and lets you slam big threats like Sheoldred, Whispering One or Blightsteel Colossus early. It fits well in a deck full of token makers, recursive fodder, or anything that brings back your sacrifice victims again and again. Just be patient, then strike hard.

#31. Anje, Maid of Dishonor

Anje, Maid of Dishonor turns your vampire party into a Blood-soaked resource engine. Every time Anje or another vampire enters the battlefield (once per turn), you get a Blood token—which can be used to rummage or deal damage. Its activated ability lets you sacrifice Blood or creatures to drain opponents while gaining life, making it perfect for decks with cards like Bloodghast, or Oni-Cult Anvil.

#30. Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder

Treasure-focused decks love Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder. Every artifact or creature you sacrifice adds a +1/+1 counter, and if it’s a Treasure, Evereth gains lifelink. That means your token generators like Goldspan Dragon suddenly double as lifegain and damage outlets. When Evereth dies, it can even explode with damage to each opponent.

#29. Herigast, Erupting Nullkite

Herigast, Erupting Nullkite is a weird one—but in a good way. It uses emerge, so you can cast it for cheaper by sacrificing big creatures. Once it hits the battlefield, it gives all your other creatures emerge too, meaning you can cheat out Eldrazi and dragons like crazy. Sacrificing high-mana creatures lets you exile your hand and draw three cards, so it’s all about turning your board into gas.

#28. Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos

If you like your chaos with a side of control, Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos delivers. Sacrificing creatures lets you scry 2, giving you excellent top deck control, and then you can exile the top card of your deck to cast it—dealing damage equal to its mana value to anything. This makes Hidetsugu a powerhouse in decks with Dark Confidant-style effects, or just high-cost spells to blast enemies.

#27. Hivis of the Scale

Dragons beware—Hivis of the Scale is here to steal you. As long as it stays tapped, any dragon it targets becomes yours, which really messes with players who rely on big threats like Scion of the Ur-Dragon or Old Gnawbone. It’s definitely a niche pick, but if your playgroup loves running dragon decks, Hivis can be an absolute powerhouse.

#26. Ziatora, the Incinerator

Want to burn things for profit? Ziatora, the Incinerator lets you do just that. At the end of each turn, you can sacrifice a creature to deal its power in damage and make three Treasure tokens. That’s value on top of value. It shines with token generators like Dragon Broodmother or Avenger of Zendikar, and of course with cards that let you temporarily steal creatures before flinging them. It’s Jund () at its finest.

#25. Kellogg, Dangerous Mind

Kellogg, Dangerous Mind turns attacking into ramp and theft. It swings in with first strike and haste, makes a Treasure, and then—once you’ve saved up five of them—you can steal a creature for as long as you control Kellogg. The trick is keeping Kellogg safe and loaded. Cards like Goldspan Dragon or Brass's Bounty help build your hoard fast, making it surprisingly powerful when left unchecked.

#24. Laurine, the Diversion

With Laurine, the Diversion, sacrifice becomes a way to manipulate combat. By sacrificing a creature or artifact, it goads a target creature, forcing it to attack someone else. Goad is an underrated form of control, and Laurine excels in multiplayer by sowing chaos while keeping the heat off you.

#23. Rankle and Torbran

Rankle and Torbran is what happens when two chaos creatures fuse into one flying, first-striking, hasty menace. When it hits, you get to pick from three symmetrical effects—everyone makes a Treasure, everyone sacs a creature, or damage sources deal +2. Stack that with cards like Impact Tremors, Sling-Gang Lieutenant, or Mayhem Devil for some deeply painful turns.

#22. Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker

Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker is a master of political mind games. You sacrifice a creature or artifact and mill a card, then your opponents must either give it back to you or lose 3 life. It's a unique twist that rewards a steady flow of cheap fodder like Bloodghast. Plus, since Sivriss can be played with a background, you can fit red and add some theft effects.

#21. The Balrog, Durin's Bane

Nothing screams “sacrifice payoff” like The Balrog, Durin's Bane. This massive, hasty avatar demon gets cheaper for every permanent you’ve sacrificed in a turn. It can’t be blocked except by legendary creatures, making it hard to stop once it hits the battlefield. And when it dies, it takes something with it. It fits beautifully into decks with Treasure, Blood tokens, or creature fodder, and turns cards like Village Rites into ramp spells.

#20. Nihiloor

Nihiloor is a horror that lets you tap your own creatures to steal weaker creatures from each opponent, all for as long as you control Nihiloor. On top of that, any time you attack with something you stole, you gain 2 life and your opponent loses 2, turning creatures into currency for theft and life drain.

#19. Ashad, the Lone Cyberman

Ashad, the Lone Cyberman brings some serious artifact cloning power. The first nonlegendary artifact you cast each turn gains casualty 2, letting you sacrifice a creature with power 2 or greater to copy the artifact as a token. Plus, every time you sac a creature, Ashad gets stronger. This makes it a perfect fit for decks with cheap sac fodder like Bloodsoaked Champion, and of course, Threaten effects.

#18. Rakdos, the Muscle

Rakdos, the Muscle is brute force with a brain. Sacrificing creatures gives you access to your opponent’s deck and turns it into your own toolbox. It also becomes indestructible when you sacrifice something—once per turn—so you can swing freely into combat.

#17. Geralf, Visionary Stitcher

Zombies taking to the skies? That’s what Geralf, Visionary Stitcher does. Not only do your zombies get flying, but you can also sacrifice a non-token creature to make a blue zombie with stats equal to its toughness. This makes Geralf excellent in toughness-based decks with walls or creatures like Doomed Dissenter, or token builds that want evasion.

#16. Dargo, the Shipwrecker

Dargo, the Shipwrecker is a massive pirate who doesn’t care what gets tossed overboard as long as it makes it cheaper. Sacrifice creatures, artifacts—anything—and it drops from 7 mana to 1-2 easily. Its true strength shows in decks full of Treasure tokens, cheap fodder, or cards like Krark-Clan Ironworks. As a partner commander, Dargo is super flexible and ready to punch hard with trample.

#15. Dihada, Binder of Wills

Dihada, Binder of Wills is a planeswalker that supports legends with both protection and ramp. It can buff your best legendary creature with indestructible and lifelink, dig four cards deep for more legends, or—if you manage to hit that ultimate—steal the entire board for a turn.

#14. Sauron, the Lidless Eye

Sauron, the Lidless Eye is ready to take control, literally. When it enters, you steal a creature, give it haste, and swing with it. On top of that, it can also buff your whole board and drain opponents for 2 life with its activated ability.

#13. Skyfire Kirin

If you’re casting spirit or arcane spells, Skyfire Kirin offers a repeatable Act of Treason effect. Whenever you cast one, you can steal a creature with mana value equal to that spell until end of turn. This makes it a niche but super fun pick for spirit tribal or Kamigawa-style decks that use cheap, efficient arcane spells.

#12. Zidane, Tantalus Thief

Zidane, Tantalus Thief gives you a fast, flashy theft when it enters the battlefield—stealing a creature for a turn and giving it lifelink and haste. On top of that, it makes Treasure whenever you return their creature or someone steals something from you, creating a neat little loop with effects like Zedruu the Greathearted. It’s a fun, flavorful option for players who enjoy quick hits and clever trades.

#11. Grimgrin, Corpse-Born

Grimgrin, Corpse-Born is a classic zombie commander with a grindy twist. It enters tapped and only untaps when you sacrifice a creature, but each time Grimgrin attacks, it kills something and gets even bigger. Pair it with undying creatures like Butcher Ghoul or token makers like Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder to keep untapping it for days.

#10. Jalira, Master Polymorphist

Jalira, Master Polymorphist turns small creatures into something bigger and better. By sacrificing a creature, you dig through your deck until you hit a non-legendary creature and put it straight onto the battlefield. It’s made for polymorph-style decks that run only one or two big threats like Tidespout Tyrant and use theft effects to turn your opponents’ creatures into your combo pieces.

#9. Eriette, the Beguiler

Eriette, the Beguiler brings a sneaky twist to auras by letting you steal your opponents’ creatures just by enchanting them. As long as the aura’s mana value is high enough, you take control of whatever it’s attached to. Cards like Pacifism or even All That Glitters become theft tools instead of just enchantments.

#8. Empress Galina

If you’re tired of seeing everyone else’s cool commanders, Empress Galina lets you take them for yourself. It can steal any legendary permanent (yes, that includes planeswalkers!) for just two blue mana and a tap. Pair it with untap effects like Pemmin's Aura or Thousand-Year Elixir to start building your own superteam of legendary creatures within just a few turns.

#7. The Beast, Deathless Prince

The Beast, Deathless Prince trades speed for power—literally. It steals a creature when you cast it, then sleeps under six stun counters until combat damage starts flying. What’s wild is that each time an enemy creature hits its own controller, the Beast untaps and lets you draw. Mix in cards like Fling to keep the chaos going.

#6. Brion Stoutarm

Brion Stoutarm is the original “yeet” commander—it grabs big creatures and flings them at your opponents for major damage. Lifelink even gives you some sweet lifegain along the way. It plays especially well with red’s theft effects like Act of Treason or Mark of Mutiny to literally throw opponents’ creatures back at them.

#5. Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

Every time you cast Prossh, Skyraider of Kher, you get a flood of kobolds to feed it—and then you can start sacrificing them for profit. While Prossh loves aristocrat-style decks with cards like Dictate of Erebos or Blood Artist, it can also lead a pseudo steal and sac strategy to feed it with more power. On top of that, it’s especially deadly when you can recast it over and over with Food Chain.

#4. Korvold, Fae-Cursed King

Whenever Korvold, Fae-Cursed King shows up, it demands a sacrifice—but quickly rewards you with a card draw and a +1/+1 counter. That trade-off snowballs into a massive threat if you build around tokens, Treasures, or other throwaway permanents. Cards like Reassembling Skeleton and Pitiless Plunderer turn this dragon into a value machine, making it one of the best Jund commanders () out there.

#3. Yasova Dragonclaw

With Yasova Dragonclaw, you gain control of a weaker creature at the start of every combat, provided you have enough mana. It’s a steady and reliable way to steal and swing, and plays well in Temur () decks with pump spells and sac outlets like Greater Good to turn temporary steals into lasting advantage.

#2. Merieke Ri Berit

Merieke Ri Berit might look small, but it has some of the most brutal control abilities in the game. Tap it to steal any creature—then if it untaps or leaves the battlefield, the stolen creature gets destroyed forever, no regeneration allowed. It’s not flashy, but in the right control shell, it’s downright terrifying.

#1. Olivia Voldaren

Olivia Voldaren is a classic vampire commander who doubles as a creature thief. For a little mana, it pings a creature to turn it into a vampire and grows bigger. Then for 5 mana, it takes control of any vampire on the board. That includes the ones it just made. A real powerhouse in a bloodthirsty shell.

Commanding Conclusion

Akul the Unrepentant | Illustration by Kekai Kotaki

As you can see, there are tons of ways to exploit steal effects and turn your opponents’ creatures into your own weapons. As long as you’re working with red or blue in your color mix, you’ll have access to the right tools to keep stealing your opponent’s resources.

What do you think? Was there any missing commander that deserved to be on the list? Let us know in the comments! If you want to stay up to date with the latest MTG-related news, remember to follow us on social media to never miss a thing.

Take care, and we will meet again in my next article!