Parasitic Strix MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeArtifact Creature — Bird
Abilities Flying
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card advantage and artifact synergies, enhancing both life totals and board presence.
  2. Demands specific mana and artifacts in play, which can limit deck construction and timing.
  3. Combos well with bounce spells and shines in certain meta, yet may be costly for its stats.

Text of card

Flying When Parasitic Strix comes into play, if you control a black permanent, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.

After finding no sustenance on the edges of Grixis, it turned to the skies of Bant.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Parasitic Strix can provide card advantage in two ways. Firstly, when it enters the battlefield, if you control a blue permanent, you may gain 2 life and your opponent loses 2 life. This immediate effect can create a life points gap while maintaining your hand count. Subsequently, its presence demands an answer, often causing your opponent to spend a card to remove it.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or Treasure tokens, Parasitic Strix can contribute to artifact synergies within your deck. Its artifact creature type allows it to be a cog in the machine of artifact-based strategies, potentially unlocking earlier deployments of powerful spells or enabling improvised costs. Its role can indirectly lead to acceleration of your resources on the board.

Instant Speed: Parasitic Strix itself might not be an instant, but it pairs exceptionally well with flash enablers or bounce spells at instant speed. This combination can create sudden shifts in board state and opponent life totals, catching adversaries off guard during their turn. Its ability to interact on the opponent’s turn amplifies its strategic utility.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Parasitic Strix requires an artifact to be in play under your control to trigger its life exchange ability. If you’re unable to meet this condition, you won’t reap the benefits of the card’s effect.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Parasitic Strix includes both blue and black mana, which necessitates a multicolored deck. This can be restrictive for deck construction, especially if you’re looking to include it in a mono-colored or a deck with a different color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana for a 2/2 creature, Parasitic Strix may not provide the best value for its cost. While the life swing it offers can be powerful, there are other creatures and spells at this mana range that could offer a more immediate impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Parasitic Strix in Your Collection

Versatility: Parasitic Strix offers flexibility in deck building. As an artifact creature, it’s not only a flying threat but also fits well into artifact-centric decks or strategies incorporating blue and black’s control elements.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combos, particularly when paired with cards that can repeatedly bounce creatures to your hand. Unleash repeated life swings or even infinite loops in the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In environments heavy with multicolor decks, Parasitic Strix can provide a consistent source of life drain. Its ability to disrupt opponents while maintaining your life total makes it a strategic asset in certain metagames.


How to beat

Parasitic Strix is a card that has found a niche in certain MTG combo decks, primarily due to its ability to clock an opponent with life loss when paired with other artifacts. To overcome this flying threat, the key strategy lies in disrupting the synergy that makes it effective. One of the most straightforward methods is artifact removal, targeting key pieces that the Strix relies on for its life-draining ability. Alternatively, cards that prevent life loss or grant you hexproof can nullify the damage dealt by Parasitic Strix altogether.

Countering the Strix or the artifacts it partners with is a solid tactic as well. Keep counter spells at hand for when your opponent casts their artifacts or attempts to return them from the graveyard. Creature removal spells can quickly dispatch Parasitic Strix, and those with instant speed give you flexibility to wait until your opponent has committed to their combo before you strike. Remember, keeping the board clear of artifacts, especially before the Strix enters the battlefield, is crucial in mitigating the damage it can inflict.

In summary, maintaining control over the board, particularly by managing artifacts and countering key spells, is an effective blueprint to follow when facing decks that utilize Parasitic Strix. By doing so, you’ll undermine the very engine that fuels this creature’s potential and keep your health out of jeopardy.


Cards like Parasitic Strix

Parasitic Strix is an intriguing artifact creature card within Magic: The Gathering, with abilities that have drawn comparisons to other cards in the game. The life loss and gain effect of Parasitic Strix can be likened to the abilities seen in Tidehollow Strix. Although Tidehollow Strix does not offer life gain or loss, it comes with deathtouch, making it a strong defensive option.

When looking at Foundry Street Denizen, one can observe a different approach. Although it’s a creature that doesn’t share direct life-altering effects, it grows stronger with every red creature casting, showcasing an alternative aggressive strategy in gameplay. Baleful Strix also enters the conversation with its value-driven combination of deathtouch and card draw. Although not directly affecting life totals, its potential to trade with large creatures and provide card advantage is significant.

Comparing these cards, Parasitic Strix stands out with its combination of impact on life totals and synergistic potential in artifact-centric decks, making it a unique option for players interested in balancing offense with life manipulation strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Tidehollow Strix - MTG Card versions
Foundry Street Denizen - MTG Card versions
Baleful Strix - MTG Card versions
Tidehollow Strix - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Foundry Street Denizen - Gatecrash (GTC)
Baleful Strix - Planechase 2012 (PC2)

Cards similar to Parasitic Strix by color, type and mana cost

Proteus Staff - MTG Card versions
Crystal Shard - MTG Card versions
Wizard Replica - MTG Card versions
Chronatog Totem - MTG Card versions
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Master of Etherium - MTG Card versions
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Esperzoa - MTG Card versions
Neurok Replica - MTG Card versions
Trespassing Souleater - MTG Card versions
Spined Thopter - MTG Card versions
Implement of Examination - MTG Card versions
Portal of Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Midnight Clock - MTG Card versions
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Etherium Spinner - MTG Card versions
Tome of the Infinite - MTG Card versions
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory - MTG Card versions
Mysterious Tome // Chilling Chronicle - MTG Card versions
Proteus Staff - Mirrodin (MRD)
Crystal Shard - The List (PLST)
Wizard Replica - Planechase (HOP)
Chronatog Totem - Time Spiral (TSP)
Sarcomite Myr - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Master of Etherium - March of the Machine Commander (MOC)
Skill Borrower - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Esperzoa - Double Masters (2XM)
Neurok Replica - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Inventors (DDU)
Trespassing Souleater - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Spined Thopter - The List (PLST)
Implement of Examination - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Portal of Sanctuary - Core Set 2020 (M20)
Midnight Clock - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Icebind Pillar - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Rod of Absorption - Forgotten Realms Commander (AFC)
Etherium Spinner - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Tome of the Infinite - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Mysterious Tome // Chilling Chronicle - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Parasitic Strix MTG card by a specific set like Conflux and Double Masters, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Parasitic Strix and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Parasitic Strix Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-02-06ConfluxCON 322003normalblackSteven Belledin
22020-08-07Double Masters2XM 602015normalblackSteven Belledin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Parasitic Strix has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Parasitic Strix card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-08-07 If you don't control a black permanent immediately after Parasitic Strix enters the battlefield, its ability doesn't trigger. If you don't control one as the ability resolves, no player loses or gains life. It doesn't have to be the same black permanent both times, however.
2020-08-07 Parasitic Strix's ability triggers only once, no matter how many black permanents you control beyond the first.

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