Phyresis Roach MTG Card

Grants card advantage by afflicting opponents with poison counters, altering the tide of the game. Low casting cost allows strategic flexibility and rapid board development without mana strain. Combos well with instant speed spells, enhancing its potential as a strategic surprise.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Phyrexian Insect
Abilities	Toxic
Released	2023-02-28
Set symbol
Set name	Alchemy: Phyrexia
Set code	YONE
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	15
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Tuan Duong Chu

Text of card

Toxic 1 Whenever Phyresis Roach deals combat damage to a player, Insects you control and Insect cards in your graveyard, hand, and library perpetually gain toxic 1.

Cards like Phyresis Roach

Phyresis Roach is an intriguing creature that brings a unique mechanic to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Drawing comparisons, we find Glistener Elf, another card that also allows players to dip into the ruthless world of poison counters. Like Phyresis Roach, Glistener Elf grants infect, but it is more streamlined with a lower mana cost and the ability to infect your opponent right from the early turns of the game.

Another similar card is Plague Stinger, which not only brings the threat of infect to the table but also introduces flying, allowing it to evade ground-based defenses. Phyresis Roach doesn’t have this ability natively, making Plague Stinger a potentially more evasive and immediate threat. However, Phyresis Roach has the resilience factor with undying, coming back stronger after being dealt with, unlike Plague Stinger which lacks this survivability.

Ultimately, while Glistener Elf and Plague Stinger may enable faster infect-based strategies, Phyresis Roach holds its ground as a persistent threat. Its ability to return to the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter can prove invaluable in prolonged games, earning it a distinguished spot among infect creatures in Magic: The Gathering.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Phyresis Roach offers a unique form of card advantage by enhancing your battlefield presence with its infect ability, potentially converting regular damage into long-term advantage through poison counters.

Resource Acceleration: By being a low-cost creature, Phyresis Roach enables you to deploy other spells sooner, as it does not heavily tax your mana resources, leaving you poised for rapid expansion on the board.

Instant Speed: While the Phyresis Roach itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with spells of instant speed. Playing it on your turn followed by protective instants can catch opponents off-guard, preserving the roach and its devastating potential.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Phyresis Roach card necessitates the player to discard another card, which may not always be feasible, especially in the late game when your hand might be running low.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Phyresis Roach includes black mana, which requires a dedicated color mana base within your deck, restricting its inclusion to predominantly or solely black-aligned decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its level of impact on the game, the Phyresis Roach’s mana cost might be seen as steep, particularly when you consider alternative cards within the same mana range that could potentially provide a greater immediate effect or longer-term value.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Phyresis Roach can be a flexible addition to various deck archetypes, particularly those that can harness its infect ability. This card blurs the lines between aggressive and reactive gameplay, capable of being a threat on its own or serving as an enabler for synergistic card interactions.

Combo Potential: This pesky insect offers intriguing combo opportunities, meshing well with cards that maximize the infect mechanism or amplify creature abilities. By incorporating it into a strategic combo, you can accelerate the infect counters on your opponent, swiftly leading to a win.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Phyresis Roach’s ability to potentially deliver poison counters each turn makes it a relevant card to consider. It can apply pressure on opponents, forcing them to address the threat or risk succumbing to the toxic tide of infect damage.

How to Beat Phyresis Roach

Phyresis Roach introduces a unique blend of aggression and resilience to black-aligned decks in MTG. Among its distinct features is the ability to resist common removal strategies thanks to its undying mechanic. When Phyresis Roach is destroyed and had no +1/+1 counters, it will return to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it, making it quite tenacious.

Countering this persistent creature requires a different approach. For starters, exile effects bypass the undying mechanic entirely, preventing Phyresis Roach from returning to the field. Direct exile spells like Path to Exile or effects that provide exile removal like Oblivion Ring are efficient answers. Alternatively, employing board wipes that don’t target, like Wrath of God or Damnation, can also effectively manage Phyresis Roach without triggering its undying return.

Lastly, utilizing -1/-1 counter strategies can neutralize Phyresis Roach’s undying ability. By placing a -1/-1 counter on it, perhaps through a spell like Black Sun’s Zenith, you ensure that when it dies, both +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters will nullify each other, and it won’t come back from the graveyard. Adaptability in your removal choices is vital when facing a creature like Phyresis Roach which is designed to crawl back into play.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Phyresis Roach MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: Phyrexia, 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 Phyresis Roach and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Phyresis Roach has restrictions

Format	Legality
Gladiator	Legal
Alchemy	Legal
Historic	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal