Poison. Infect. -1/-1 counters. These are the words that commander players hate to hear. There's almost an unspoken rule amongst commander players: don't play that. So, you know I had to do it to 'em.
It's time for me to tackle Kaldheim's meanest, greenest bad boy: Fynn, the Fangbearer. This Legendary brings back one of Magic's most hated forms of damage: poison counters. Fear not, however! Rather than having Infect, Fynn only allows our creatures with deathtouch to hand out poison counters. This turns an incredibly scary concept into something a bit more manageable. Props to Wizards of the Coast for releasing a commander with a fun ability that is not broken in its power. This week's commander is incredibly fair and far less likely to become broken.
So now that that's out of the way, let's break this commander!
Before we dive into this week's brew, we need a brief crash course on the concept of poison counters. Poison counters are incredibly different from infect damage. To elaborate, if I had a 5/5 with Infect deal damage to you, you would have five poison counters. However, if I had a 5/5 that had poisonous 1, it would only give you 1 poison counter. Fynn does not give our deathtouch creatures Infect. Instead, he gives them the ability to give opponents two poison counters. This makes our creatures significantly less threatening (i.e. buff spells won't kill opponents with mass poison counters). Cards like Craterhoof Behemoth and Finale of Devastation will have little impact on our toxic goals.
So we've tackled the difference between poison and Infect, but how are they similar? Well, all Infect damage is dealt through poison counters. In games of commander, opponents need to accumulate ten poison counters in order to lose the game. While this number may seem low for a 40 life format, this form of damage is not incredibly prevalent. However, the threshold for loss via poison counters is incredibly low and easy to hit. So, why does this matter? This deck is combat damage focused, but not in the usual way. Rather than knocking our opponent's life totals down to zero, our goal is to give our opponents ten poison counters, either through repeated combat contact or proliferation. Time to brew!
Building Fynn was a very straightforward process. We really only care about two things: creatures to deal damage via poison counters and ways to make more poison counters. The only way we can dole out poison counters is to have creatures with deathtouch, therefore we stuffed this deck full of teeny-weenie greenie meanies. However, cards like Sedge Scorpion, Daggerback Basilisk, and Wasteland Viper aren't terribly interesting to read about—they're very self explanatory. Instead, let's chat about the more interesting deathtouch pieces in this deck. Not every creature we run in this brew has deathtouch (they can't all be winners). Therefore we need a plan B.
In this situation, plan B consists of Bow of Nylea and Ohran Frostfang. These beauties allow us to give everything deathtouch—even the creatures that already have deathtouch. DOUBLE DEATHTOUCH! While I wish this meant double poison counters, we all know this isn't a real thing. Despite this, it doesn't hurt to run as many deathtouchers and death touch enablers as possible! This maximizes the amount of poison counters we hand out in our brew, while also giving our string non-deathtouchers like Halana, Kessig Ranger and Ulvenwald Tracker a chance to make some contact.
So we covered the many tiny deathtouch creatures (kinda) and ways to give them deathtouch, but what about some of our stronger deathtouch creatures? Since most of our beaters are so incredibly small, we need ways to make them evasive. Let's talk about ways to slip past our opponent's defenses. One such way is Bellowing Tanglewurm. This massive creature may not have deathtouch, but he gives all of our creatures Intimidate, making them that much harder to defend against. Oh, you have a Syr Konrad you wanna block with? PSYCH! TAKE 2 POISON COUNTERS, SUCKER! Next we have Questing Beast, which makes combat damage unpreventable. You thought your Fogs will save you?! FOOLISH OPPONENT! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE OUR TOXIC SHOCK!
I know I said it earlier, but our creatures are SO small. They can easily die if our evasion isn't out to help them. If only we could make our creatures bigger! This is where Vigor comes in. Blocks no longer matter to our attacking creatures when Vigor is out. Instead, they gain +1/+1 counters, making them bigger and scarier. While they don't have infect (thus not impacting the amount of poison counters we give), no one ever complains about having a boardstate full of crazy big creatures.
Our final evasive creature is the Stonehoof Chieftain. This card was widely argued about in chat. Should it stay or should it go? Well, eventually the 8/8 stayed, and for good reason! He gives all of our attacking creatures indestructible and trample until end of turn. Suddenly we don't have to worry about if our creatures live or die. Plus, this paired with Vigor will make for some extremely nasty combat steps.
Let's face it, there will be moments when our opponents will do anything and everything to prevent us from continuing to make contact. Eventually, we won't be able to make it through their lines. Thankfully, we are able to run proliferate cards. Even if we can't hit to place counters, we can add some more! One such beloved piece is Evolution Sage. This Elvish beauty allows us to proliferate whenever a land enters the battlefield under our control. Another recently printed proliferate card is Karn's Bastion. This land allows us to tap mana to proliferate once per turn. Imagine playing a Karn's Bastion to proliferate with Evolution Sage, then tapping four mana to proliferate with the Bastion! What a combo!
Let's have a chat about the Contagion cards: Contagion Clasp and Contagion Engine. While higher in their converted mana costs, each of these two artifacts allows us to build up to removal while simultaneously increasing the amount of poison counters on our opponents. Contagion Engine is significantly potent because it allows us to proliferate twice, thus speeding up the turn clock. Another proliferation artifact we run is Sword of Truth and Justice. Just attach this bad boy onto any of our creatures in order for us to proliferate upon contact with an unsuspecting opponent.
card-showcase id="Planewide Celebration"
The final piece of proliferation I've included is Planewide Celebration. I was incredibly hesitant at first—the mana cost is intimidating and the other aspects of the card feel incredibly lackluster and out of place. However, this is the perfect example of the need to read the card. We can choose the same mode four times. That means seven mana for four instances of proliferation. That's a huge bargain!
Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Fynn, the Fangbearer by Chase Carroll
'Fynn, the Fangbearer' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!
Created By: Chase Carroll
Event:
Rank:
Commander
Market Price: $433.45
Grappling Hook
Market Price: $0.59
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/139953_200w.jpg
Equipped creature has double strike. Whenever equipped creature attacks, you may have target creature block it this turn if able. Equip {4}
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/grappling-hook
Heroic Intervention
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $10.68
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/215550_200w.jpg
Permanents you control gain hexproof and indestructible until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2021/heroic-intervention
Daggerback Basilisk
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.02
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/169322_200w.jpg
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2019/daggerback-basilisk
Turntimber Basilisk
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/132334_200w.jpg
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.) Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target creature block Turntimber Basilisk this turn if able.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/archenemy-nicol-bolas/turntimber-basilisk
Toski, Bearer of Secrets
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $2.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/229494_200w.jpg
This spell can't be countered. Indestructible Toski, Bearer of Secrets attacks each combat if able. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/toski-bearer-of-secrets
Nylea, God of the Hunt
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $9.18
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/71034_200w.jpg
Indestructible As long as your devotion to green is less than five, Nylea isn't a creature. (Each {G} in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to green.) Other creatures you control have trample. {3}{G}: Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros/nylea-god-of-the-hunt
Blinkmoth Nexus
Market Price: $1.22
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218273_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}. {1}: Blinkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying until end of turn. It's still a land. {1}, {T}: Target Blinkmoth creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/blinkmoth-nexus
Narnam Renegade
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.20
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/126509_200w.jpg
Deathtouch Revolt — Narnam Renegade enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/aether-revolt/narnam-renegade
Akroma's Memorial
Market Price: $34.60
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/59890_200w.jpg
Creatures you control have flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, and protection from black and from red.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/magic-2013-m13/akromas-memorial
Rhonas the Indomitable
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $11.09
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/130059_200w.jpg
Deathtouch, indestructible Rhonas the Indomitable can't attack or block unless you control another creature with power 4 or greater. {2}{G}: Another target creature gets +2/+0 and gains trample until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/amonkhet/rhonas-the-indomitable
Dolmen Gate
Market Price: $5.35
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15461_200w.jpg
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/lorwyn/dolmen-gate
Key to the City
Market Price: $0.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196748_200w.jpg
{T}, Discard a card: Up to one target creature can't be blocked this turn. Whenever Key to the City becomes untapped, you may pay {2}. If you do, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2019/key-to-the-city
Halana, Kessig Ranger
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.06
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/221356_200w.jpg
Reach Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay {2}. When you do, that creature deals damage equal to its power to target creature. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/halana-kessig-ranger
Bow of Nylea
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $5.95
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/70997_200w.jpg
Attacking creatures you control have deathtouch. {1}{G}, {T}: Choose one — • Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. • Bow of Nylea deals 2 damage to target creature with flying. • You gain 3 life. • Put up to four target cards from your graveyard on the bottom of your library in any order.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros/bow-of-nylea
Eternal Witness
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $3.48
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227335_200w.jpg
When Eternal Witness enters the battlefield, you may return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/eternal-witness
Moss Viper
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/207148_200w.jpg
Deathtouch
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros-beyond-death/moss-viper
Tranquil Thicket
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/191289_200w.jpg
Tranquil Thicket enters the battlefield tapped. {T}: Add {G}. Cycling {G} ({G}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-horizons/tranquil-thicket
Sword of Truth and Justice
Market Price: $19.63
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/191050_200w.jpg
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from white and from blue. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control, then proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.) Equip {2}
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-horizons/sword-of-truth-and-justice
Fireshrieker
Market Price: $0.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227369_200w.jpg
Equipped creature has double strike. (It deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.) Equip {2} ({2}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/fireshrieker
Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $36.69
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230135_200w.jpg
Trample, haste If you would put one or more counters on a permanent or player, put twice that many of each of those kinds of counters on that permanent or player instead. If an opponent would put one or more counters on a permanent or player, they put half that many of each of those kinds of counters on that permanent or player instead, rounded down.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/vorinclex-monstrous-raider
Sedge Scorpion
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/192933_200w.jpg
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2020/sedge-scorpion
Karn's Bastion
Market Price: $5.18
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/187193_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}. {4}, {T}: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/war-of-the-spark/karns-bastion
Nature's Claim
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.67
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/145523_200w.jpg
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Its controller gains 4 life.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/iconic-masters/natures-claim
Acidic Slime
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/226315_200w.jpg
Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.) When Acidic Slime enters the battlefield, destroy target artifact, enchantment, or land.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/acidic-slime
Ulvenwald Tracker
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $1.64
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/128954_200w.jpg
{1}{G}, {T}: Target creature you control fights another target creature.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters-2017/ulvenwald-tracker
Wrap in Vigor
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $1.09
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/83189_200w.jpg
Regenerate each creature you control.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/conspiracy/wrap-in-vigor
Oakhame Adversary
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.87
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/199301_200w.jpg
This spell costs {2} less to cast if an opponent controls a green permanent. Deathtouch Whenever Oakhame Adversary deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/throne-of-eldraine/oakhame-adversary
Beast Whisperer
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $1.34
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231197_200w.jpg
Whenever you cast a creature spell, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/beast-whisperer
Wasteland Viper
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.26
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/67475_200w.jpg
Deathtouch Bloodrush — {G}, Discard Wasteland Viper: Target attacking creature gets +1/+2 and gains deathtouch until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/gatecrash/wasteland-viper
Shamanic Revelation
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.96
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218817_200w.jpg
Draw a card for each creature you control. Ferocious — You gain 4 life for each creature you control with power 4 or greater.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/shamanic-revelation
Lightning Greaves
Market Price: $3.85
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218837_200w.jpg
Equipped creature has haste and shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.) Equip {0}
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/lightning-greaves
Forest
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230468_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {G}.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/forest
Wurmcoil Engine
Market Price: $16.67
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218392_200w.jpg
Deathtouch, lifelink When Wurmcoil Engine dies, create a 3/3 colorless Wurm artifact creature token with deathtouch and a 3/3 colorless Wurm artifact creature token with lifelink.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/wurmcoil-engine
Thornweald Archer
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/132190_200w.jpg
Reach (This creature can block creatures with flying.) Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-anthology/thornweald-archer
Canopy Cover
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.57
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/34345_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Enchanted creature can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach. Enchanted creature can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/worldwake/canopy-cover
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Market Price: $20.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/71039_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}. {2}, {T}: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros/nykthos-shrine-to-nyx
Contagion Engine
Market Price: $15.41
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/36312_200w.jpg
When Contagion Engine enters the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature target player controls. {4}, {T}: Proliferate, then proliferate again. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there. Then do it again.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/scars-of-mirrodin/contagion-engine
Planewide Celebration
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.42
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/188906_200w.jpg
Choose four. You may choose the same mode more than once. • Create a 2/2 Citizen creature token that's all colors. • Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. • Proliferate. • You gain 4 life.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/war-of-the-spark/planewide-celebration
Ambush Viper
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.05
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227081_200w.jpg
Flash Deathtouch
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/ambush-viper
Obscuring Haze
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $1.36
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212141_200w.jpg
If you control a commander, you may cast this spell without paying its mana cost. Prevent all damage that would be dealt this turn by creatures your opponents control.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/obscuring-haze
Phyrexian Swarmlord
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $7.26
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/39564_200w.jpg
Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.) At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 1/1 green Insect creature token with infect for each poison counter your opponents have.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/new-phyrexia/phyrexian-swarmlord
Evolution Sage
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.73
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/222676_200w.jpg
Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-zendikar-rising/evolution-sage
Swiftfoot Boots
Market Price: $1.58
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231281_200w.jpg
Equipped creature has hexproof and haste. Equip {1}
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/swiftfoot-boots
Sixth Sense
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/129530_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Enchanted creature has "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card."
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/amonkhet/sixth-sense
Sword of Feast and Famine
Market Price: $49.81
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218926_200w.jpg
Equipped creature gets +2/+2 and has protection from black and from green. Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card and you untap all lands you control. Equip {2}
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/sword-of-feast-and-famine
Snake Umbra
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.32
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/180980_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 and has "Whenever this creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card." Totem armor (If enchanted creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Aura.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ultimate-masters/snake-umbra
Guardian Project
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $8.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/183213_200w.jpg
Whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, if it doesn't have the same name as another creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/guardian-project
Sylvan Library
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $47.49
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/118417_200w.jpg
At the beginning of your draw step, you may draw two additional cards. If you do, choose two cards in your hand drawn this turn. For each of those cards, pay 4 life or put the card on top of your library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/eternal-masters/sylvan-library
Bellowing Tanglewurm
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.46
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/36484_200w.jpg
Intimidate (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or creatures that share a color with it.) Other green creatures you control have intimidate.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/scars-of-mirrodin/bellowing-tanglewurm
Hornet Queen
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.75
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212515_200w.jpg
Flying Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.) When Hornet Queen enters the battlefield, create four 1/1 green Insect creature tokens with flying and deathtouch.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/hornet-queen
Fynn, the Fangbearer
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.28
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230748_200w.jpg
Deathtouch Whenever a creature you control with deathtouch deals combat damage to a player, that player gets two poison counters. (A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/fynn-the-fangbearer
Triumph of the Hordes
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $16.27
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/39595_200w.jpg
Until end of turn, creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain trample and infect. (Creatures with infect deal damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/new-phyrexia/triumph-of-the-hordes
Primal Rage
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $2.90
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15259_200w.jpg
Creatures you control have trample. (A creature with trample can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/10th-edition/primal-rage
Vigor
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $7.36
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/167791_200w.jpg
Trample If damage would be dealt to another creature you control, prevent that damage. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature for each 1 damage prevented this way. When Vigor is put into a graveyard from anywhere, shuffle it into its owner's library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/battlebond/vigor
Rogue's Passage
Market Price: $0.44
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227325_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}. {4}, {T}: Target creature can't be blocked this turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/rogues-passage
Sol Ring
Market Price: $2.23
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231261_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}{C}.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-kaldheim/sol-ring
God-Eternal Rhonas
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $9.33
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/188506_200w.jpg
Deathtouch When God-Eternal Rhonas enters the battlefield, double the power of each other creature you control until end of turn. Those creatures gain vigilance until end of turn. When God-Eternal Rhonas dies or is put into exile from the battlefield, you may put it into its owner's library third from the top.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/war-of-the-spark/god-eternal-rhonas
Whispersilk Cloak
Market Price: $2.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/125533_200w.jpg
Equipped creature can't be blocked and has shroud. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities.) Equip {2}
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/planechase-anthology/whispersilk-cloak
Keen Sense
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $4.60
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/14746_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature deals damage to an opponent, you may draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/planar-chaos/keen-sense
Questing Beast
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $12.44
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/198763_200w.jpg
Vigilance, deathtouch, haste Questing Beast can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less. Combat damage that would be dealt by creatures you control can't be prevented. Whenever Questing Beast deals combat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage to target planeswalker that player controls.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/throne-of-eldraine/questing-beast
Stonehoof Chieftain
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $14.89
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/124142_200w.jpg
Trample, indestructible Whenever another creature you control attacks, it gains trample and indestructible until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2016/stonehoof-chieftain
Tajuru Blightblade
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/221848_200w.jpg
Deathtouch
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/zendikar-rising/tajuru-blightblade
Contagion Clasp
Market Price: $0.80
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/36226_200w.jpg
When Contagion Clasp enters the battlefield, put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. {4}, {T}: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/scars-of-mirrodin/contagion-clasp
Gnarlwood Dryad
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.22
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/119678_200w.jpg
Deathtouch Delirium — Gnarlwood Dryad gets +2/+2 as long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/eldritch-moon/gnarlwood-dryad
Nyx Lotus
Market Price: $3.46
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/206648_200w.jpg
Nyx Lotus enters the battlefield tapped. {T}: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros-beyond-death/nyx-lotus
Beast Within
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $1.58
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227332_200w.jpg
Destroy target permanent. Its controller creates a 3/3 green Beast creature token.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/beast-within
One with Nature
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $2.40
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/10944_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature deals combat damage to a player, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/scourge/one-with-nature
Ohran Frostfang
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $18.61
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196563_200w.jpg
Attacking creatures you control have deathtouch. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2019/ohran-frostfang
Rancor
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.88
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/161887_200w.jpg
Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+0 and has trample. When Rancor is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, return Rancor to its owner's hand.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/masters-25/rancor
This week I find myself torn between two incredibly powerful creatures for the coveted spot of MVP. It can't be helped! I'm an indecisive deckbuilder. MVP #1 is a little harmless card known as Phyrexian Swarmlord. This beauty is a token generating machine that makes little Infect Insects on our upkeep, equal to the amount of poison counters our opponents have. The more poison counters our opponents have, the more Infect tokens we can make. Our boardstate gets scary, and can get even scarier when MVP #1 is paired with our next highlighted piece!
MVP #2 is so good, it can speed our games drastically! From the rolling hill of Phyrexia, may I present to you Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider. This Praetor means business, making sure our opponents die to our toxic touch! Cards like Parallel Lives and Doubling Season seem like they'd be effective in this brew. However, upon closer inspection, it should be noted that they only interact with permanents we control. This doesn't affect poison counters on our opponents. What's a poison player to do?
The answer? Vorinclex. This newly printed behemoth allows us to double the amount of counters we place on a player. One deathtouch creature in this deck would place four poison counters on an opponent as opposed to one. Talk about a ticking clock, am I right? This is why I had a hard time choosing.
I was very worried about brewing Fynn, the Fangbearer. Poison counters and commander have a very strained relationship. While Infect is far more potent and fast-paced, poison counters in general have left a bad taste in the mouths of the commander community. I expected to be faced with some less than kind words.
However, I was proven wrong. The commander community attended the brewing stream in record numbers to toss ideas in the ring and praise the balance of Fynn as a whole. Many expressed excitement over the hints at returning to Phyrexia and the eventual reprisal of Infect and poison counters. Fynn, the Fangbearer is a great introductory commander into the enticing world of -1/-1 counters, wither, poison, and infect. Whether you're just starting out or are well versed in the format, sometimes it's fun to pick up a piece of Magic history and play a new format known as Nostalgia.