---
name: "Szadek, Lord of Secrets"
mana_cost: "{3}{U}{U}{B}{B}"
cmc: 7
type_line: "Legendary Creature — Vampire"
colors: []
color_identity: ["B", "U"]
keywords: ["Flying", "Mill"]
set: "CM2"
set_name: "Commander Anthology Volume II"
collector_number: "168"
rarity: "rare"
artist: "Donato Giancola"
oracle_id: "c40c823c-5954-457a-81a6-02683da57f7f"
canonical_url: "https://avascry.com/printing/szadek-lord-of-secrets-cm2"
legalities:
  commander: "legal"
  standard: "not_legal"
  modern: "legal"
  pioneer: "not_legal"
  legacy: "legal"
  vintage: "legal"
  pauper: "not_legal"
  penny: "legal"
---

# Szadek, Lord of Secrets
- **Mana Cost:** `{3}{U}{U}{B}{B}` (CMC: 7)
- **Type:** Legendary Creature — Vampire
- **Keywords:** Flying, Mill

## Oracle Text
Flying
If Szadek would deal combat damage to a player, instead put that many +1/+1 counters on Szadek and that player mills that many cards.

## Top 4096-Dim Neural Synergies
1. [Necropolis Regent](/printing/necropolis-regent-voc.md) — Creature — Vampire
2. [Sengir Vampire](/printing/sengir-vampire-jmp.md) — Creature — Vampire
3. [Szarekh, the Silent King](/printing/szarekh-the-silent-king-40k.md) — Legendary Artifact Creature — Necron
4. [Kazarov, Sengir Pureblood](/printing/kazarov-sengir-pureblood-dom.md) — Legendary Creature — Vampire
5. [Memory Vampire](/printing/memory-vampire-clu.md) — Creature — Vampire Detective
6. [Mephidross Vampire](/printing/mephidross-vampire-5dn.md) — Creature — Vampire

## Printing Details
- **Set:** Commander Anthology Volume II (CM2) #168
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Artist:** Donato Giancola
- **Total Printings:** 4 across all historical editions

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

## Official Rulings
- *(2005-10-01)* If another effect would prevent Szadek's combat damage from being dealt to the defending player or replace it with something else, that player chooses which effect applies first. For example, the player can choose to first have Mending Hands prevent 4 of the damage and then apply Szadek's ability so that it gets only one counter.