Maybe Commons aren’t as exciting as Rares or Mythics, but if you’re drafting a set or trying to build a deck out of a sealed pool at your pre-release, they are the main building blocks holding everything else together. It’s essential to understand a set’s commons in order to truly master it. Although the format is still brand new, and there’s a lot of room for the meta to develop, here is our take on the cards which are shaping up to be the best commons in Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
White
3. Duelist of Deep Faith
Powerful two drops are a very important part of any limited format. Duelist of Deep Faith is a really reliable early-game attacker for White. Even if you’ve built a deck that doesn’t aim to win through poison, Duelist of Deep Faith is just a card that’s really hard to block. Your opponent’s Stinging Hivemasters and Urabrask’s Anointers will need to stay out of its way. If you do care about winning through poison, then having a two-drop that gives your opponent poison counters and is really frustrating to block is fantastic.
2. Flensing Raptor
A strictly better Wind Drake in White. A lot of what made Duelist of Deep Faith good is also what makes Flensing Raptor good. They’re both sources of poison counters that are difficult to block effectively. The drake costs one mana more, but has flying utility and provides a neat buff to another creature when it enters play. If you’re building an aggressive deck, especially one aiming to win through poison, a turn two Duelist of Deep Faith, followed by a turn three Flensing Raptor should give you a pretty dominant early game lead.
1. Planar Disruption
Planar Disruption is a Pacifism effect which is so much better than its namesake that it puts it to shame. Planar Disruption, unlike Pacifism, locks down the abilities of the card it enchants. It can also be used to disable artifacts and planeswalkers, as well as creatures. Although the ability to target planeswalkers would normally be a niche utility in Limited, Phyrexia: All Will Be One contains 10 planeswalkers, some of whom are incredibly powerful. This card isn’t a perfect answer, as the enchanted card can be bounced back to safety or Planar Disruption can be destroyed by a Cankerbloom. All the same, for only two mana Planar Disruption definitely offers you a lot.
Blue
3. Experimental Augury
In any Limited format, Blue players love to draw cards and in ONE Blue players love spreading counters. Experimental Augury does both. You get to take the best card from among the top three in your deck and then proliferate for only two mana.
This card and Prologue to Phyresis fulfill very similar roles but, arguably, Experimental Augury has an edge over the prologue. In the event the cards are being played into a completely open board, Prologue to Phyresis does have a certain appeal. Although, In the event that an opponent already has a poison counter, or you have some oil counters in play that you want to proliferate Experimental Augury is the better card. If you have both of these cards in your hand at the same time, and your opponent doesn’t currently have any poison counters, remember to open with the prologue and then cast the Augury next to give them a second dose of poison.
2. Quicksilver Fisher
Nothing breaks through a stalled-out late-game board like a big flying Phyrexian fisher. Quicksilver Fisher provides you with just what you need to push through that last bit of damage to close out a game. Not only is it a big evasive threat, but it also helps you dig through your deck for more threats or some removal. Just make sure you’ve got a land to discard as it comes into play. It’s never fun drawing and then immediately getting rid of a card,
1. Mesmerizing Dose
Mesmerizing Dose is to Charmed Sleep and Claustrophobia what Planar Disruption is to Pacifism. Removal isn’t typically one of Blue’s strengths, the color usually relies on counterspells and bounce effects to deal with the opponent’s threats. Having the ability to permanently tap down an opponent’s scariest creature, whilst proliferating at the same time, is great. Mesmerizing Dose is a useful removal spell in a color that doesn’t have access to many.
Black
3. Gulping Scraptrap
First things first, this card’s name is absolutely fantastic. The phrase Gulping Scraptrap is just incredibly fun to say. You would never imagine it was the name for an eternally hungering Phyrexian monstrosity. This adorably named abomination offers you two proliferate triggers, one as it enters play and one as it dies. Whether you’re using this effect to churn out oil counters or poison counters, it’s definitely useful when attached to a 4/4 body.
2. Blightbelly Rat
Blightbelly Rat is a good two-drop and a great include in Poison decks. The risk with any deck that features proliferate cards is that you’ll end up with too many cards focused on proliferating and not enough that actually produce the counters you need to spread around. What makes Blightbelly Rat so useful is that enables itself. If this little rodent manages to get an attack through then toxic 1 will ensure you have some poison counters to proliferate when it dies.
1. Anoint with Affliction
Exile effects are always valuable, especially in a set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One which features a cycle of mythic rare bombs that are incredibly difficult to kill otherwise. Although you need to be in a deck that cares about poison counters to get the most out of Anoint with Affliction chances are that if you’re playing Black then your deck will have plenty of poison to go around. Even if you don’t, you could do a lot worse than a two-mana spell which unconditionally removes your opponent’s Glissa Sunslayer or Flencing Raptor.
Red
3. Volt Charge
Volt Charge returns, having initially appeared in New Phyrexia. Although a lot worse than Lightning Bolt, Volt Charge has a lot more to offer than something like Open Fire. In Limited, Red burn spells are always terrific. Whether it’s the early game and you want to destroy some of their initial threats, or the late game and you want to blast through that last bit of damage to get them down to 0. Having this stapled to a proliferate effect is very useful. Don’t underestimate Volt Charge despite its, relatively, steep cost. You’re still absolutely getting value for mana here.
2. Bladegraft Aspirant
Many of the cards in this article are universally powerful. They work across archetypes, and so will be strong in a wide variety of decks. Bladegraft Aspirant is a bit more niche but is so powerful in its niche that it’s worth discussing all the same.
If you’re using Bladegraft Aspirant you really want to be in a Red/White “For Mirrodin!” Equipment-based deck. The aspirant makes all of your equipment one mana cheaper, letting you rush out your Rebels and their Barbed Batterfists. If all of those Rebels end up meeting with a terrible fate and getting horribly slaughtered by Phyrexians, Bladegraft Aspirant can take up their weapons at a one mana discount. All of this on top of having a relevant keyword ability and a decent, if not amazing, stat line. If you’re putting together an equipment deck in this format, you really want a few Bladegraft Aspirants in there.
1. Hexgold Slash
Removal that counters one of the format’s scariest-looking strategies is definitely a big plus. Hexgold Slash deals two damage to any target for only a single Red mana or four damage to a toxic creature. Every Red deck will want to lock down a Hexgold Slash or two to keep themselves safe from the Tyrranax Atrocities and Nimraiser Paladins prowling around.
Green
3. Ruthless Predation
Epic Confrontation is that you? Yes, this renamed fight card was a pretty good Green pick in The Brothers’ War and it looks like it will be a pretty good pick here as well. Pump up your Duelist of Deep Faith and have it take down your opponent’s Basilica Shepherd and live to tell the tale.
2. Tyrranax Atrocity
A hasty poisonous dinosaur, Tyrranax Atrocity is not a subtle card, but it’s the perfect tool in the arsenal of a poison deck in the mid to late game. If you’ve got any cards with the corrupted mechanic like Viral Spawning or Anoint with Affliction then Tyrranax Atrocity provides enough poison after only a single blow to immediately switch them over to their stronger mode. Tyrranax Atrocity is a generically strong five drop, but that’s all it needs to be.
1. Contagious Vorrac
Centaur Corsair has been compleated, as well as turned into a boar apparently. Contagious Vorrac is an incredibly useful three drop. The Vorrac lets you search the top four cards of your deck for a land that you may reveal and add to your hand. If you don’t do that, you can proliferate instead. Remember this is a ‘may’ ability, even if you find a land you’re not forced to add it to your hand. If you would rather use the Vorrac to proliferate you’re welcome to. This card is a lot like Bloom Hulk from War of the Spark. That card was a staple of its limited format, and it didn’t even have Contagious Vorrac’s ability to grab lands. Chances are this card is going to become a staple as well.
Read More: Top 10 MTG Best Commander Cards in Phyrexia: All Will Be One