---
name: "Kaervek, the Punisher"
mana_cost: "{1}{B}{B}"
cmc: 3
type_line: "Legendary Creature — Human Warlock"
colors: []
color_identity: ["B"]
keywords: []
set: "OTJ"
set_name: "Outlaws of Thunder Junction"
collector_number: "92"
rarity: "rare"
artist: "Cristi Balanescu"
oracle_id: "fa9a6083-75ab-41ae-b607-39d21d9a3d3a"
canonical_url: "https://avascry.com/printing/kaervek-the-punisher-otj"
legalities:
  commander: "legal"
  standard: "legal"
  modern: "legal"
  pioneer: "legal"
  legacy: "legal"
  vintage: "legal"
  pauper: "not_legal"
  penny: "legal"
---

# Kaervek, the Punisher
- **Mana Cost:** `{1}{B}{B}` (CMC: 3)
- **Type:** Legendary Creature — Human Warlock

## Oracle Text
Whenever you commit a crime, exile up to one target black card from your graveyard and copy it. You may cast the copy. If you do, you lose 2 life. (Targeting opponents, anything they control, and/or cards in their graveyards is a crime. Copies of permanent spells become tokens.)

## Top 4096-Dim Neural Synergies
1. [Forsaken Miner](/printing/forsaken-miner-otj.md) — Creature — Skeleton Rogue
2. [Servant of the Stinger](/printing/servant-of-the-stinger-otj.md) — Creature — Human Warlock
3. [Lazav, Familiar Stranger](/printing/lazav-familiar-stranger-otj.md) — Legendary Creature — Shapeshifter
4. [Marchesa, Dealer of Death](/printing/marchesa-dealer-of-death-otj.md) — Legendary Creature — Human Rogue
5. [Seize the Secrets](/printing/seize-the-secrets-otj.md) — Sorcery
6. [Hardbristle Bandit](/printing/hardbristle-bandit-otj.md) — Creature — Plant Rogue

## Printing Details
- **Set:** Outlaws of Thunder Junction (OTJ) #92
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Artist:** Cristi Balanescu

## Format Legalities
Commander: `legal` | Standard: `legal` | Modern: `legal` | Pioneer: `legal` | Legacy: `legal` | Vintage: `legal` | Pauper: `not_legal` | Penny: `legal`

## Official Rulings
- *(2024-04-12)* You cast the copy while the ability is resolving and still on the stack. You can’t wait to cast it later in the turn.
- *(2024-04-12)* A player can commit only one crime per spell or ability they control. Targeting multiple opponents, permanents, spells, abilities, and/or cards with the same spell or ability doesn’t constitute committing multiple crimes.
- *(2024-04-12)* A player commits a crime as they cast a spell, activate an ability, or put a triggered ability on the stack that targets at least one opponent, at least one permanent, spell, or ability an opponent controls, and/or at least one card in an opponent’s graveyard.
- *(2024-04-12)* The spell or ability that constituted a crime doesn’t have to have resolved yet or at all. As soon as you’re finished casting the spell, activating the ability, or putting the triggered ability on the stack, you’ve committed a crime.
- *(2024-04-12)* If you don’t want to cast the copy, you can choose not to; the copy ceases to exist the next time state-based actions are performed.
- *(2024-04-12)* Because you’re paying the spell’s costs, if the spell has {X} in its mana cost, you may choose its value as normal.