Dirty Needles

Commander / EDH Counters Infect Mono-Black Proliferate

TheSurgeon

Artifact (28)

• 1x Bladed Pinions
• 1x Charcoal Diamond
• 1x Contagion Clasp
• 1x Contagion Engine
• 1x Cranial Plating
• 1x Darksteel Plate
• 1x Expedition Map
• 1x Glistening Sphere
• 1x Lashwrithe
• 1x Lightning Greaves
• 1x Lux Cannon
• 1x Mimic Vat
• 1x Nightmare Lash
• 1x Rings of Brighthearth
• 1x Semblance Anvil
• 1x Shadowspear
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Sphere of the Suns
• 1x Strata Scythe
• 1x Swiftfoot Boots
• 1x Throne of Geth
• 1x Trailblazer's Boots
• 1x Unwinding Clock
• 1x Vat of Rebirth
• 1x Viridian Claw
• 1x Voltaic Key
• 1x Whip of Erebos
• 1x Whispersilk Cloak

Creature (21)

• 1x Blightbelly Rat
• 1x Brass Squire
• 1x Core Prowler
• 1x Corpse Cur
• 1x Crypt Ghast
• 1x Flensermite
• 1x Flesh-Eater Imp
• 1x Grim Haruspex
• 1x Hand of the Praetors
• 1x Ichor Rats
• 1x Ichorclaw Myr
• 1x Leaden Myr
• 1x Magus of the Coffers
• 1x Myr Retriever
• 1x Necropede
• 1x Necroskitter
• 1x Phyrexian Crusader
• 1x Plague Myr
• 1x Plague Stinger
• 1x Reaper of Sheoldred
• 1x Royal Assassin

Enchantment (5)

• 1x Animate Dead
• 1x Crumbling Ashes
• 1x Dark Favor
• 1x Phyrexian Arena
• 1x Relic Putrescence

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Vraska, Betrayal's Sting

Commander (1)

Land (36)

• 1x Blinkmoth Nexus
• 1x Cabal Coffers
• 1x Inkmoth Nexus
• 1x Karn's Bastion
• 1x Peat Bog
• 1x Rogue's Passage
• 27x Swamp
• 1x The Black Gate
• 1x Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
• 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

Instant (4)

• 1x Crypt Incursion
• 1x Dark Ritual
• 1x Grim Affliction
• 1x Vraska's Fall

Sorcery (4)

• 1x Fortuitous Find
• 1x Grim Discovery
• 1x Phyresis Outbreak
• 1x Sign in Blood

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This Infect/Proliferation deck leverages Artifact Creatures and Equipment to deal damage, with a focus on exploiting activated abilities from Artifacts and death-triggered abilities from Creatures to Proliferate counters. Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon, the deck's Commander, is the main wincon, as a potent infect threat, included with built-in evasion, haste, and regeneration.

General Strategy

The quickest way to a win is to get out a few artifacts mentioned below, and swing with Skittles as soon as possible.

Otherwise the deck employs a core infect strategy with aggressive cards like Ichorclaw Myr, Plague Stinger, Phyrexian Crusader, and Hand of the Praetors. Once the infect damage begins, artifact cards like Contagion Clasp, Contagion Engine, Glistening Sphere and Throne of Geth, and even the land, Karn's Bastion, can proliferate counters without the need for additional attacks. More directly, cards like Grim Affliction, Vraska's Fall, and Phyresis Outbreak can add poison counters, while simultaneousky mitigating opponent's board presence.

Equipment are valuable tools too: Cranial Plating, Nightmare Lash, Lashwrithe, Strata Scythe, Swiftfoot Boots & Lightning Greaves, Viridian Claw, Shadowspear and Bladed Pinions pump attackers.
The effect of Cranial Plating is particularly nasty with this artifact-heavy build and its instant-speed attachment ability, for between the declare blockers and combat damage steps.
Lashwrithe and Nightmare Lash both work with your Swamp count; and Strata Scythe is particularly nasty, pulling power from all over the field.
Viridian Claw and Bladed Pinions offer valuable first strike, weakening any blocking creatures before they deal damage.
Or simply go unblocked with Trailblazer's Boots; or the lands Rogue's Passage, and The Black Gate. Targeted removal is limited with Lightning Greaves and Swiftfoot Boots.

The only modifier in the deck that isn't an Artifact, is Dark Favor. Reanimation & Recursion: Fortuitous Find, allows you to recur key creatures and artifacts from your graveyard; as does Corpse Cur and Myr Retriever, upon death. Also, the obligatory Animate Dead; allowing you to reanimate from any gravyard, and Vat of Rebirth working with proliferate for fast recurrence. Whip of Erebos can also reanimate at sorcery speed, while giving all of your creatures much needed Lifelink.

Mana Acceleration: Sol Ring, Glistening Sphere, Magus of the Coffers, Cabal Coffers and Crypt Ghast, provide substantial mana boosts.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth pairs particularly well with Crypt Ghast, Magus of the Coffers, and Cabal Coffers. Peat Bog and Sphere of the Suns have more value in this deck with the Proliferate mechanic in action.

The Planeswalker, Vraska, Betrayal's Sting, provides an additional method of proliferating, removing threats, and creating board presence.

Inkmoth Nexus and Blinkmoth Nexus act as manlands, joining the assault as essential infect creatures. Rogue's Passage and The Black Gate make sure your important creatures can hit their target.

Artifacts: These work in tandem with various parts of The deck. Lux Cannon + Unwinding Clock + Voltaic Key can create a potent lock-out combo against opponents.

Overall, the deck presents a multi-pronged infect strategy, supported by effective equipment and potent proliferate mechanics that continually strengthen your position while weakening adversaries'

Land Base

This deck features several Nonbasic Lands that each contribute unique utilities.

Inkmoth Nexus: This land can transform into a 1/1 Artifact Creature with flying and infect, adding an unexpected threat. Its ability to become a creature is exceptionally synergistic with equipment like Cranial Plating, etc to boost its power.

Blinkmoth Nexus: Similarly to Inkmoth Nexus, can become an Artifact Creature, although it doesn't have infect. It works well with artifact synergies in the deck, such as boosting the power of creatures equipped with Cranial Plating or give a boost to Inkmoth Nexus.

Karn's Bastion- Land with some Proliferate.

Rogue's Passage and The Black Gate: These lands provide an unblockable route for your creatures, crucial for ensuring that high-powered or infect creatures, such as Skithiryx, reach the enemy. It pairs well with cards like Phyrexian Crusader or Plague Stinger.

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth: As it changes all lands to Swamps in addition to their other types, it pairs well with cards that benefit from having many Swamps, such as Cabal Coffers, Crypt Ghast or Magus of the Coffers, enhancing your mana production.

Tomb of the Spirit Dragon: Given the deck's abundance of artifact creatures, this land can offer a consistent source of lifegain, useful in sustaining you during a drawn-out battle.

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Top Ranked	Achieved #7 position overall 1 year ago Achieved #6 position in Commander / EDH 1 year ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Counters 1 year ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Infect 1 year ago
Date added	1 year
Last updated	10 months
Key combos	Lux Cannon + Unwinding Clock + Voltaic Key
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	5 - 0 Mythic Rares 25 - 0 Rares 23 - 0 Uncommons 20 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	2.80
Tokens	Copy Clone, Morph 2/2 C, Phyrexian Germ 0/0 B, Treasure
Folders	Edh, EDH Decks