Hello, everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel Show, and today we're looking back at the first set released when I started playing Magic back in 2011: Mirrodin Besieged. This set kicked off the New Phyrexia block, reviving one of the most infamous villain groups in Magic's lore--the Phyrexians. Even though this set is now over 13 years old, it remains relevant to Commander today. We'll be diving into the top ten cards from Mirrodin Besieged, ranked by their power, popularity, and impact on the format. But before we begin, let's cover a few honorable mentions.

Top 10 Cards from Mirrodin Besieged

Honorable Mention

This applies to other infect cards from the set, as I'm referring to poison counters as a whole. The Phyrexians introduced an alternative win condition for aggro decks, offering a flavorful new strategy. While infect isn't as reliable in Commander due to the need to defeat multiple opponents, plenty of players still enjoy the thrill of trying to take out an entire table with poison counters.

10) Knowledge Pool

This chaotic card is typically found in stax decks. Paired with cards like Lavinia, Azorius Renegade or Teferi, Time Raveler, it creates a lock that prevents opponents from casting spells for the rest of the game. Although it's challenging to find pods that embrace this playstyle, Knowledge Pool is an example of unique card design that stands out.

9) Spine of Ish Sah

This artifact shines in decks focused on recursion or combos. Having a reusable permanent that can destroy any target is invaluable. When combined with sacrifice outlets, Spine of Ish Sah creates a powerful removal engine capable of looping infinitely in the right setup.

8) Black Sun's Zenith

Flexible board wipes are essential in Commander, and Black Sun's Zenith stands out. It not only circumvents spells like Heroic Intervention and creatures like Avacyn, Angel of Hope, but it also permanently weakens survivors without causing life loss, unlike Toxic Deluge. I'm a big fan of this card.

7) Shimmer Myr

Flash turns good cards into great ones by allowing you to cast spells at the perfect moment. Shimmer Myr enables you to cast any artifact at instant speed, which makes it a powerful tool. It's even strong enough to see play in cEDH decks like Zur the Enchanter.

6) Psychosis Crawler

A frequent reprint in preconstructed decks, Psychosis Crawler offers a straightforward yet powerful effect: it grows with your hand size and deals damage to each opponent whenever you draw a card. This card's synergy with draw engines like Windfall and Wheel of Misfortune makes it a consistent threat.

5) Massacre Wurm

Few cards devastate token strategies like Massacre Wurm. On entering the battlefield, it gives all opposing creatures -2/-2, and if you blink it or use a card like Panharmonicon, the effect becomes even deadlier. While it's on the battlefield, opponents lose two life for each creature that dies. This can be backbreaking--especially if a token player has a board of twenty 1/1 creatures, potentially ending the game for them outright.

4) Green Sun's Zenith

Tutors are incredibly powerful in Commander, and Green Sun's Zenith stands out by also putting the tutored creature directly onto the battlefield. At its floor, it can fetch a Dryad Arbor for one mana, functioning as a slightly better Rampant Growth. At its ceiling, it can fetch a game-winning creature like Craterhoof Behemoth for nine mana. There's plenty of utility in between those extremes.

3) Blightsteel Colossus

The "one-hit robot" is among the few creatures capable of eliminating an opponent outright with a single swing. With infect, it only takes ten poison counters to win, and Blightsteel Colossus delivers 11 damage with infect and trample. Its indestructibility makes it one of the strongest killing machines in Magic.

2) Sword of Feast and Famine

This card exemplifies unintended design consequences. Many players use it primarily to untap lands after combat, often saying, "Sorry about the discard--I'm just trying to untap my lands." However, the card's protections and discard effect make it much more impactful than it initially seems. This dual-purpose nature is similar to how players might run Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger for the ramp, without fully considering the negative attention the stax effect can attract.

1) Consecrated Sphinx

Consecrated Sphinx is one of the most broken cards in Magic. It's clear that Wizards of the Coast didn't account for multiplayer formats when they designed it. Even if it doesn't survive a full turn cycle, it typically draws you six to eight cards--and if you manage to protect it, Consecrated Sphinx can easily win the game.

And there you have it! I find it fascinating that, after all this time, Mirrodin Besieged still offers some of the most powerful spells that see frequent play in Commander today. Until next time - happy gaming!