Let the groans commence!

Alternate win-conditions introduce a mini-game to the Commander table, a fresh mix-up, requiring effort and dedication, that commands respect if someone's able to pull it off. As enjoyable as convoluted combo kills and infinite tokens are, winning with something niche has an extra sprinkle of satisfaction atop the victory.

For me, it all started with Pit Scorpion.

Though tiny, this arachnid offered an intriguing possibility: vanquish your foe not by brute force, but surgical precision. Three mana only got you a 1/1, but if you were able to sneak him in often, it would often be enough to win the game. The challenge became figuring out the most efficient ways to make this happen. Options were... sparse, with cards like Fear, Invisibility, Dwarven Warriors, and Seeker being some of the only sources of 'Unblockable' at the time.

Time went on, more sets came out, and critters like Marsh Viper, Swamp Mosquito, and Sabertooth Cobra lent their fangs to the cause. But the overall poisonous pool remained woefully shallow. Aside from the oddball Virulent Sliver, players would have to wait 15 years before the mechanic would get more support. But oh, what support it got. Scars of Mirrodin saw poison counters return in a big way, with Infect scaling the amount of counters dealt with a creature's power. Suddenly, killing an opponent with poison became as simple as pumping your creature's stats. Infect also had a nasty habit of afflicting enemy creatures with -1/-1 counters, so even blocking hurt. The result was powerful enough to make waves in Modern.

Quite the evolution

In Commander, higher life totals make aggro strategies a tall order; but, if you reset every opponents' life total to 10? Now we're talking. No matter what lofty heights an opposing life total rises to, those same ten poison counters are enough to nail the coffin shut. Blightsteel Colossus needs only a single connection to spell curtains for an enemy.

Prior to Phyrexia: All will be One, White's introduction to poison came via Mirrodin Besieged. Historically, White was the color most opposed to the Poison mechanic, albeit resistance was slim (Leeches). That all changed once Momma Norn arrived on Mirrodin. Suddenly, the color was handing out poison counters via Priests of Norn and Tine Shrike. New Phyrexia then saw Lost Leonin and Shriek Raptor join the rabid ranks of the Porcelain Legion. While solid Limited cards, these four saw little Commander play. Aside from some artificial buddies (Corpse Cur, Core Prowler, Phyrexian Juggernaut, etc.), there simply weren't enough other supports to make a Mono-White Poison strategy viable. Even on-color Commanders like Atraxa, Praetors' Voice had stronger and more consistent options to turn to in other colors (Blighted Agent, Viridian Corrupter, Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon).

Speaking of Atraxa, Proliferate was another key element toward making Poison Commander-viable. With most poison creatures being 'balanced' out by smaller stats, finding ways to keep the sickness spreading after blockers or board wipes was vital to prevent stall out. Prior to War of the Spark, White had access to only Artifact sources, and even after, its arsenal of Proliferate cards only increased by three (Martyr for the Cause, Grateful Apparition, Wanderer's Strike). In addition to more poisonous creatures, the color needed a sheer volume of Proliferate effects to make this strategy work.

Finally, the most obvious hurdle to overcome in Commander: Actually having a Commander to call upon! Prior to Phyrexia: All will be One, the only Mono-White contender for the leader of a Poison deck was probably Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. Aside from being thematic, her lack of Infect/Toxic was made up for by her ability to enhance the lethality of your infectious troops and clear the way of enemy blockers. However, she serves a similar purpose for any go-wide deck. What Mono-White needed was a Legendary creature who really leaned into the Poison and skittered away with it.

Enter Phyrexia: All will be One, and all three issues are addressed in one fell, oil-drenched and very-toothy swoop. White's ranks have been bolstered via a number of new creatures with the Toxic mechanic (Jawbone Duelist, Flensing Raptor, etc), plus a hearty dose of poisonous token generation via the Mite creature type (White Sun's Twilight, Charge of the Mites, etc). Once these critters connect, an assortment of new Proliferate cards (Norn's Choirmaster, Glistening Sphere, etc.) increase the rate of infection among opponents. All these new tools are spearheaded by White's first mono-color Poison Commander: the mighty, Skrelv, Defector Mite!

Skrelv, Defector Mite is about as Commander-aggro as it gets. This bug is guaranteed to drop turn one and immediately start swinging for poison. Blocking? He's never heard of it. Skrelv only knows how to bite, bite, BITE! And once, our little buddy here gets outclassed by bigger threats or blockers? No worries, he'll simply pull a Mother of Runes-impression to slip another creature past enemy defenses. Toxic stacks, so any creature that already has Toxic or Infect will gain yet another poison counter to distribute once Skrelv 'blesses' them. His ability is essentially a less-oppressive form of Protection in that it confers both evasion and protection from on-color spells and abilities. Creatures of the chosen color can still damage those blessed by Skrelv, so this ability won't help when you're the one trying to block. But when you're dealing with an army of Mites, blocking was never really on the docket anyhow.

And what are the Mites, you ask? Under Elesh Norn, Mother of Machine's dominion, these bugs serve as a venomous swarm, overtaking Mirran resistance (or Phyrexian rivals) with sheer numbers. All Phyrexia's troops are expendable in one way or another, as the system prides itself on recycling the obsolete into more dangerous creations, but Mites are perhaps the most disposable of all. Mass-produced and single-minded, Mites have all the agency of a box of paperclips. At least that's what Elesh Norn thinks...

Skrelv's Hive by Heonhwa Choe

Skrelv, Defector Mite is aptly named, as some bizarre quirk in his personality/programming has imbued him with a sense of self. He no longer remembers the Phyrexian cause to make-all-one, and cares less. Skrelv is a new Mite, out to make a life and living in a hostile metallic world. He still packs a noxious bite, but now it's in service to himself rather than the Mother of Machines. And if Skrelv's Hive is any indication, is appears the little guy aims to enlighten some fellow creepy-crawlies. Will this pint-sized rebel become an unlikely ally to the Mirran cause? Or at the least, provide them with a "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"-sorta position? Hard to say, but no matter the outcome, Skrelv's certainly got an endearing underdog-factor going for him.

In summation, Phyrexia: All will be One gives White not only it's first poisonous Commander, but a tool shed worth of gadgets to take advantage of his venom. Will past Infect outlets effectively combine with new cards to make an aggressive strategy viable? And what does the future hold in store for Skrelv, Defector Mite? As a card, his efficient stats could give Infect a boost in Modern or Pioneer. As a character, he's managed to survive in one of the harshest environments in the Multiverse.

Resilience walks on six little porcelain-plated legs.

Mite and Magic | Commander | Matthew Lotti

• Commander (1)
• 1 Skrelv, Defector Mite

• Creatures (23)
• 1 Annex Sentry
• 1 Blightsteel Colossus
• 1 Core Prowler
• 1 Crawling Chorus
• 1 Duelist of Deep Faith
• 1 Dune Mover
• 1 Flensing Raptor
• 1 Grateful Apparition
• 1 Ichorclaw Myr
• 1 Infested Fleshcutter
• 1 Jawbone Duelist
• 1 Kuldotha Forgemaster
• 1 Lost Leonin
• 1 Mite Overseer
• 1 Mondrak, Glory Dominus
• 1 Myr Convert
• 1 Necropede
• 1 Norn's Choirmaster
• 1 Phyrexian Juggernaut
• 1 Plague Myr
• 1 Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle
• 1 Tine Shrike
• 1 Welcoming Vampire

• Instants (9)
• 1 Akroma's Blessing
• 1 Akroma's Will
• 1 Charge of the Mites
• 1 Clever Concealment
• 1 Flawless Maneuver
• 1 Rootborn Defenses
• 1 Sejiri Shelter // Sejiri Glacier
• 1 Swords to Plowshares
• 1 Teferi's Protection

• Sorceries (9)
• 1 Ascend from Avernus
• 1 Emeria's Call // Emeria, Shattered Skyclave
• 1 Hour of Reckoning
• 1 Hour of Revelation
• 1 Ondu Inversion // Ondu Skyruins
• 1 Open the Armory
• 1 Search for Glory
• 1 Vanquish the Horde
• 1 White Sun's Twilight

• Enchantments (9)
• 1 Cover of Winter
• 1 Duelist's Heritage
• 1 Gelid Shackles
• 1 Glacial Plating
• 1 Norn's Decree
• 1 On Thin Ice
• 1 Skrelv's Hive
• 1 Tocasia's Welcome
• 1 True Conviction

• Artifacts (15)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Archaeomancer's Map
• 1 Coldsteel Heart
• 1 Contagion Engine
• 1 Ebony Fly
• 1 Everflowing Chalice
• 1 Expedition Map
• 1 Glistening Sphere
• 1 Grafted Exoskeleton
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Norn's Annex
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Staff of Compleation
• 1 Sword of Truth and Justice
• 1 Throne of Geth

• Lands (34)
• 21 Snow-Covered Plains
• 1 Access Tunnel
• 1 Blast Zone
• 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
• 1 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
• 1 Karn's Bastion
• 1 Mage-Ring Network
• 1 Mirrex
• 1 Mouth of Ronom
• 1 Myriad Landscape
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Scrying Sheets
• 1 Sejiri Steppe
• 1 The Mycosynth Gardens

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Turn one couldn't be more straightforward. Slam Skrelv, Defector Mite onto the table and watch your opponents squirm. The first turns of Commander tend to be slow, meaning Skrelv should have free reign to attack unhindered for a turn or two. Most of our other poisonous creatures also come down early, furthering our aggressive gameplan. Aim to spread the counters out, ensuring each foe ends up with at least 1 before defenses mounting. As the game moves from early-to-mid, begin holding mana up for protective spells to shield the team from sweepers, all the while sneaking in for additional bites via Skrelv's ability. Proliferate will then continue spreading the plague, inching everyone ever-closer to that magical ten.

The Rest of the Hive: Our first turns are pivotal for sticking as much poison as possible before blockers halt our progress. Infectious creatures tend to be on the smaller side, but that's okay. They're not here to brawl. They're here to bite. Quick attackers like Crawling Chorus, Lost Leonin, Dune Mover, Duelist of Deep Faith and Jawbone Duelist get in early, and if an opponent is too slow, quite often. As your mana grows, possibly assisted by Plague Myr and Myr Convert, you'll employ more evasion (Flensing Raptor, Tine Shrike) to dodge blockers. Paying 4-mana for a Tine Shrike might not look at appealing at first glance, but realize it's taking out "1/5th" of an opponent's life with each swing. That's the equivalent of an 8-power creature, folks.

Speaking of Tine Shrike, our Infect-troops are especially important, for while Toxic creatures will only inflict a set number of counters, an Infector will deal poison equal to its power. Phyrexia Juggernaut is Diet-Phage, killing an opponent in only 2 hits. This makes pump-effects and equipment more potent. More on them later. Blightsteel Colossus might seem like an odd inclusion given our aggro-stance, but seeing as Mite-tokens are artifacts (and we pack quite a few ways to make 'em), it doesn't take much for Kuldotha Forgemaster to slip one into play.

Supporting our walking-fangs are a host of creatures that may not possess death's kiss on their own, but enhance that of their fellow troops. Grateful Apparition and Norn's Choirmaster introduce two words that are scary on their own, but terrifying combined: Repeatable-Proliferate. Mondrak, Glory Dominus and Mite Overseer support a token-theme to further grow the swarm, the majority of which have smaller statures to enable card advantage from Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle and Welcoming Vampire.

Toxicology Class: Getting initial counters to stick is key, as later Proliferate and Mite-production will act as backup if aggro can't finish the job. Skrlev's brothers and sisters enter the fray via White Sun's Twilight, Charge of the Mites, Skrelv's Hive, and Infested Fleshcutter. That sword may seem lackluster, but in the hands of an Infect creature, does far more than simply spit out tokens. One sword that certainly doesn't appear lackluster is Sword of Truth and Justice, which provides stat-boosts, evasion, and the ever-important Proliferate. Both blades, plus a welcome Grafted Exoskeleton, make Open the Armory a worthy inclusion. Staff of Compleation, Contagion Engine, and Throne of Geth add further fuel to those fires.

While Toxic creatures may not scale their poison with power, Double Strike happily gets around that, so cards like Duelist's Heritage and True Conviction become even more potent than usual. Add mass- evasive effects like Akroma's Will and Akroma's Blessing to close out the game in short order.

You may have noticed an icy subtheme strewn throughout the above decklist. Bringing in Snow-Covered Plains may seem ill-suited to a bug, but Snow provides our deck with a lot versatility. Search for Glory now does far more than search up Mondrak or Teshar. It can grab removal (Gelid Shackles, On Thin Ice), defense (Cover of Winter), ramp (Coldsteel Heart), utility (Scrying Sheets), or an absolute monster of an Aura to gift an Infector: Glacial Plating. The bit of extra life is frosting on the cake. Speaking of life, you can bet opponents will be gunning for yours after those initial bites. The very nature of Skrelv and company is attack, attack, attack, but we've also made room for defensive measures. Norn's Annex and Norn's Decree discourage crack backs, even making the prospect lethal if we've done enough damage in the early game.

Supporting Spells: Sweepers are the bane of aggro, and in Commander, everyone runs them. So we've plenty of ways to keep the team alive with cards like Teferi's Protection, Flawless Maneuver, Rootborn Defenses (free Mite!), and Clever Concealment. These pair incredibly well with our own sweepers, many of which come at a discounted cost (Hour of Revelation, Vanquish the Horde), allowing us to craft Plague Wind-esque effects. Other sweepers like White Sun's Twilight and Hour of Reckoning will either make a new Mite army or leave ours intact and ready to charge across an empty field.

Expedition MapEbony FlyGlistening Orb

Mana Support and Rocks: Most of our mana rocks are standard for Mono-White, including staples like Sol Ring, Expedition Map, and Archaeomancer's Map. A few unique rocks bring bonus effects to the table. Ebony Fly provides another source of evasion, one that's very easy to overlook as it sits on your side of the table and makes mana for most of the game. Glistening Sphere is fantastic, easily acting as a Gilded Lotus with little effort and Proliferating opponents ever closer to death.

Mono-color enables us to maximize our number of utility lands. Snow-Covered Plains still trigger Emeria, the Sky Ruin while also activating Scrying Sheets and Mouth of Ronom. Blast Zone and Mage-Ring Network act as sinks for excess mana. Access Tunnel, Rogue's Passage, and Sejiri Steppe provide even more evasive attacks. Mirrex and The Mycosynth Gardens further contribute to our army. I'm also pretty sure Karn would be offended if he knew his Bastion was being used for infectious ends.

Mite Token by Oriana Menendez

Orthodontists get paid really well in Phyrexia

Budget Options: The lore doesn't specify what Mites eat (other than the blood of your enemies), but I imagine their multitudes are pricy to feed. Seeing as we'll be spending our hard earned cash on Mite-chow, let's see if we can save money on cardboard. All cards over $20 will be noted and recommended for swap-outs. If anything seems interesting, regardless of price tag, give them a roll in the main! Creativity is a oft-forgotten cornerstone of Commander. One of the aspects that makes it special. Mix and match card choices to your heart's content!

Creatures: The budget-hammer falls heavy on Blightsteel Colossus and Mondrak, Glory Dominus, so finding apt replacements comes down to what angles you wish to emphasize. Mother of Runes and Giver of Runes help with further evasiveness, and protection from spot-removal. Martyr for the Cause provides an additional shot of Proliferate. Provide enough keyword-ability support, and Odric, Lunarch Marshall can sneak the team in for double-striking death.

Or you could keep right on recruiting every set of fangs available. Corpse Cur will rescue a fellow Infect creature from the graveyard. For example, Shrike Raptor, costlier brother to Tine Skrike. Phyrexia: All will be One has plenty more Toxic contenders as well, with cards like Rib Skiff, Indoctrination Attendant, and Basilica Shepherd on standby.

Supporting Spells: The loss of Teferi's Protection can be covered by Guardian of Faith, who'll protect card and token alike from all manner of 'Wrath. Be they Destroy, Exile, or Bounce. Of the topic of protective spells, it's nice to see Flawless Maneuver back in budget-range. Its reprinting in this set's Commander deck is much appreciated. Other potential replacements for Teferi's Protection include Your Temple Is Under Attack, Faith's Reward, and Unbreakable Formation.

Sword of Truth and Justice hurts to lose, as it provides a trio of helpful functions. Proliferate effects can be found a la one-shots like Unbounded Potential and Wanderer's Strike. Prosthetic Injector also bring more poison to the table, and the Double Strike + pump potential of Paladin Class can quickly turn a single Infector lethal. Reverent Mantra provides surprise evasion or protection from spot removal for zero mana, provided you've a White card in hand to discard.

Mana Options: This may be a first. For once, every land in our deck falls within budget. Crazy, especially considering the mana base is usually the most expensive component in a Commander deck!

Crawling Chorus by Michael Walsh

Why hello, tonight's future nightmare

I know not whether Skrelv, Defector Mite and his hive will stand against Phyrexia or simply go on surviving. That's a question for the storyline to answer. What is clear is how Skrelv will impact the Commander table. He'll require a swift answer, for once the poison starts flowing, the clock starts ticking. And with an army of Mites, Infectors, and a host of Proliferate-happy soldiers playing backup, time's gonna start moving awfully quickly for those looking for the antidote.

Hope they didn't pack Leeches.

Thanks for reading, and may you ever remain toxin-free,

-Matt-

@Intrepid_Tautog