Zellix, Sanity Flayer MTG Card


Zellix, Sanity Flayer offers crucial card advantage by manipulating both players’ hands and utilizable spells. It accelerates resource access by turning an opponent’s graveyard into an extension of your hand. The presence of Zellix encourages a strategic instant-speed playstyle, beneficial to maintaining control.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Horror
Abilities Choose a background,Hive Mind,Mill
Power 2
Toughness 3

Text of card

Hive Mind — Whenever a player mills one or more creature cards, you create a 1/1 black Horror creature token. , : Target player mills three cards. Choose a Background (You can have a Background as a second commander.)


Cards like Zellix, Sanity Flayer

Zellix Sanity Flayer emerges as a unique contender among creature control cards in MTG. It can be likened to Sower of Temptation, as both can seize an opponent’s creature. Zellix Sanity Flayer, however, leverages this with a twist, possessing its target as long as you control Zellix. Sower of Temptation, does not require you to maintain board presence to keep control of the creature, but Zellix’s static ability compensates for this condition.

Shadowmage Infiltrator is another card that shares a comparison, noted for its ability to draw a card while dealing combat damage to a player. Unlike Zellix, it doesn’t offer control over enemy creatures but excels in providing a consistent flow of card advantage. Conversely, Zellix Sanity Flayer offers a dynamic approach, disrupting your opponent’s strategy by taking their threats.

Examining these relationships, Zellix Sanity Flayer stands out with its control and disruptive play potential. Despite similarities to other cards, it adds a level of intimidation on the battlefield that is hard to replicate, making it a formidable choice for players who enjoy strategic creature dominance.

Sower of Temptation - MTG Card versions
Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Sower of Temptation - MTG Card versions
Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Zellix, Sanity Flayer by color, type and mana cost

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Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - MTG Card versions
Homarid - MTG Card versions
Wall of Air - MTG Card versions
Daring Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Time Elemental - MTG Card versions
Reef Pirates - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Shaman - MTG Card versions
Wind Drake - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions
Clam Session - MTG Card versions
Stronghold Biologist - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Wall - MTG Card versions
Phantom Warrior - MTG Card versions
Wormfang Drake - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Zellix, Sanity Flayer brings a powerful card advantage to the battlefield. As a planeswalker, Zellix can dismantle your opponent’s strategy not only by forcing them to discard cards but also by granting you the opportunity to cast those with its ability. This dual aspect keeps your hand filled while depleting theirs, a dynamic shift that can sway the course of the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: With Zellix, the ability to control the flow of resources is in your hands. Tapping into your opponent’s graveyard, Zellix allows you to accelerate your resource availability by playing spells you wouldn’t normally have access to. This form of indirect acceleration can shift the pace of the game, giving you access to a wider range of tactics.

Instant Speed: Although Zellix itself isn’t an instant, its presence on the battlefield incentivizes a playstyle that places high value on instant speed interactions. Knowing you can punish your opponent’s discards or cast their spells can influence them to play more conservatively, allowing you to reserve mana for instant speed spells and responses, which is critical for maintaining control of the game state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Zellix Sanity Flayer prompts players to discard a card, putting players at a possible card disadvantage. This could potentially disrupt your game plan, especially if you’re holding key cards for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost requires both blue and black mana, which constrains deck-building options. For players running a multi-colored deck, this may not pose a significant issue, but it can be less practical in a mono-colored deck or one that does not prioritize blue and black mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Zellix Sanity Flayer comes with a mana value that might feel steep for its effects when compared to other options in the same slot. It competes directly with other high-impact cards, which might offer immediate board presence or game-changing effects at a similar or lower cost.


Reasons to Include Zellix Sanity Flayer in Your Collection

Versatility: Zellix Sanity Flayer can be a strong addition to various decks with its ability to disrupt your opponent’s plans while building your own board presence. Its flexible cost also means it can be played early or late in the game.

Combo Potential: This card can work seamlessly within decks that capitalize on discarding or drawing, making it a potential game-changer in combination with other synergistic pieces.

Meta-Relevance: With an ever-changing MTG landscape, Zellix Sanity Flayer remains relevant by offering a strong counter to decks that rely heavily on hand resources, thereby giving its users a strategic edge in numerous matchups.


How to beat

Zellix, Sanity Flayer represents a powerful force in MTG, capable of shifting game dynamics upon entry. As a planeswalker with the potential to wreak havoc, overcoming this card can be a daunting task. To effectively counter Zellix, players must prioritize its immediate removal from the battlefield. Swift action, through direct damage spells or targeted removal options, can prevent Zellix from utilizing its loyalty abilities that disrupt opponents’ strategies and diminish their resources.

Strategies to defeat Zellix often involve negating its ability to control the game. Counterspells are pivotal in stopping Zellix before it lands on the board. Similarly, instant-speed removal can be key, allowing players to respond before Zellix’s controller can activate any abilities. Additionally, creature-based strategies that generate overwhelming board presence can pressure Zellix, forcing its controller to use its abilities defensively rather than offensively, ultimately leading to its demise.

In essence, handling Zellix, Sanity Flayer requires a mixture of preemptive denial and reactive force. Players who integrate these strategies can curb the influence of Zellix and maintain a stable position in the game, thus flipping the tables on an otherwise powerful adversary.


BurnMana Recommendations

Zellix, Sanity Flayer provides a lasting impression on the battlefield, ensuring that every move counts in your favor. With the ability to disrupt and commandeer your opponent’s plays, Zellix offers a spin on the traditional control aspects of the game. As the meta evolves, incorporating a card like Zellix into your deck could mean the difference between a win and a loss. Master the art of using your opponent’s resources against them and achieve victory with subtle yet commanding plays. Hungry for more strategies and insights to revolutionize your MTG sessions? Embark on a journey with us and unveil the secrets to conquering the game with Zellix.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Zellix, Sanity Flayer MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Zellix, Sanity Flayer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Zellix, Sanity Flayer Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2022-06-10 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 6522015NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 6192015NormalBlackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Zellix, Sanity Flayer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-06-10 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2022-06-10 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2022-06-10 Choose a Background is a variant of the partner ability. You may have two commanders if one of them is a legendary creature with the choose a background ability and the other is a legendary Background enchantment. Backgrounds and cards with choose a Background do not interact with cards which have any other partner ability.
2022-06-10 If a card refers to a commander creature you own, a Background won't usually be counted or included for that effect. If another spell or ability causes your Background to become a creature, however, it will be included. Any effect that refers to your commander or a commander you own or control without specifying creature will apply to a Background that is your commander, as appropriate.
2022-06-10 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2022-06-10 If you control a Background that grants an ability to commander creatures you own, and you own more than one commander creature, each of them will have that ability.
2022-06-10 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders’ combined color identities.
2022-06-10 If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander.
2022-06-10 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined (although your Background won’t usually be a creature anyway).
2022-06-10 You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors.