Phyrexian MTG Card
2020-06-18 - Number 26
2022-09-09 - Number 8
2023-04-21 - Number 17
2023-04-21 - Number 16
2023-04-21 - Number 18
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Type | Card |
Text of card
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Cards like Phyrexian
Delving into the world of Magic: The Gathering, Phyrexian cards introduce a unique blend of flavor and mechanics that resonate with a specific narrative. As we consider similar cards, Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite stands out as an exemplar of Phyrexian influence, enhancing your creatures while debilitating your opponents’. Another such card is Phyrexian Obliterator, a force to reckon with due to its devastating ability to wreak havoc when taking damage.
Comparatively, Phyrexian cards often come with the “Phyrexian Mana” system that adds a strategic depth to gameplay, found in cards like Dismember. This system allows players to use life points instead of mana for payment, making these spells flexible and potentially game-changing. Compleat, another card that exudes Phyrexian vibes, offers similar thematic elements and the infectious tenor of Phyrexia but lacks the signature mana mechanic.
Balancing the old with the new, there’s Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider. It captures the quintessential Phyrexian attribute of manipulation, doubling your counters and halving your opponent’s—an essential strategy for those wanting to dominate the battlefield with an iron fist. Within Magic: The Gathering, Phyrexian cards, including Elesh Norn and Vorinclex, hold their ground as top-tier choices for their powerful abilities and thematic consistency.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Phyrexians are notorious for offering potent abilities that often equate to multi-card interactions. A Phyrexian card might enable you to draw additional cards, potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy while bolstering your hand, ensuring that you never fall behind in the resource war.
Resource Acceleration: The mana efficiency of Phyrexian cards is unparalleled. Some carry the Phyrexian Mana symbol, which can be paid with either mana or life, giving you flexibility and a speed advantage. This allows you to develop your board quicker than your opponents, playing higher-cost cards ahead of curve.
Instant Speed: The versatility of Phyrexian spells often include those that can be cast at instant speed, maximising your options during critical phases of the game. This allows savvy players to adapt to the unfolding game and react efficiently to threats or opportunities, all while maintaining the element of surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The mechanic of some Phyrexian cards in MTG can compel players to discard, adding extra cost to their utility. Such an action can backfire, especially when your hand is your last line of defense or when every card counts towards a late-game strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Many Phyrexian cards demand precise mana types for casting. This requirement can pigeonhole them into niche decks, straining deck-building versatility and the ability to respond to an evolving meta. Players not running a deck with the necessary mana synergy may find these cards challenging to incorporate effectively.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The awe-inspiring power of Phyrexian spells and creatures often comes at a steep price. Cards featuring substantial abilities could have inflated mana requirements, making them an unwieldy option when quicker, leaner alternatives are needed to maintain tempo against an opponent’s threats.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Phyrexian cards are known for their universal appeal across various deck archetypes given their often powerful and unique abilities that can alter the course of gameplay.
Combo Potential: With their intrinsic synergy with -1/-1 counters, proliferate mechanics, and life payment options, Phyrexian cards can unlock numerous combo opportunities and amplifying existing strategies.
Meta-Relevance: Phyrexian cards are consistently relevant in shifting metagames as they can adapt and oftentimes provide solutions to dominant deck themes, ensuring your collection remains competitive.
How to beat
Confronted with a Phyrexian card on the battlefield brings a unique challenge due to their often intimidating abilities and synergies in the game. Phyrexians are designed to be formidable – they often come with infect, a mechanic that can end games quickly. To counter them, focus on removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their power or indestructibility. For instance, ‘Path to Exile’ or ‘Go for the Throat’ can be efficient answers to deal with immediate threats.
Counterspells play a pivotal role as well; holding up a ‘Counterspell’ or ‘Mana Leak’ can prevent a Phyrexian card from hitting the board in the first place. It’s also worth including card types that can purge graveyards, such as ‘Tormod’s Crypt’, preventing any forms of recursion Phyrexian strategies may exploit.
Avoiding prolonged combat with Phyrexians is crucial, given their typical proliferation of -1/-1 counters and other debilitations. Keeping the board clear and responding to threats as they appear is key to preserving your life total and ultimately overcoming the Phyrexian menace in your matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Phyrexian MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart Front Cards and Dominaria United, 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 Phyrexian and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Phyrexian Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-06-18 and 2023-04-21. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2020-06-18 | Jumpstart Front Cards | FJMP | 26 | 2015 | Token | Black | Stephan Martiniere | |
| 2 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 8 | 2015 | Token | Black | David Auden Nash | |
| 3 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 17 | 2015 | Double Faced Token | Black | Johann Bodin | |
| 4 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 16 | 2015 | Double Faced Token | Black | Johann Bodin | |
| 5 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 18 | 2015 | Double Faced Token | Black | Johann Bodin |