Wizards of the Coast expands the design possibilities of Magic: The Gathering with Atraxas Skitterfang in the Phyrexia: All Will Be One set.
The Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE) set, scheduled to hit local game stores as part of Prerelease events beginning February 3, highlights the Oil Counters and Toxic mechanics. Both mechanics are expected to have a significant impact on the Limited Sealed and Draft meta.
Revealed today by GamesHub is another oil-themed creature called Atraxas Skitterfang, which uses counters to give other creatures a variety of keywords early in combat.
Atraxa’s skitter catch
Atraxa’s skitter catch
- mana cost: Three of any color
- kind: Artifact Creature – Phyrexian Insect
- rarity: Occasionally
- statistics: 2/2
- ETB capability: Atraxas Skitterfang enters the battlefield with three oil counters
- capability: At the start of combat on your turn, you may remove an oil counter from Atraxas Skitterfang. When you do, target creature you control gains your choice of deathtouch, lifelink, vigilance, or flying until end of turn.
Similar to but not as powerful as Steel Seraph, which saw a lot of play in both BRO Limited and Standard, Atraxas Skitterfang still has plenty to offer. The Phyrexian Insect works synergistically with Artifact themes and can be slotted into any two- or three-color Limited deck with Oil Counters.
Atraxa’s Skitterfang is easier to remove than Steel Seraph as it has one less Power and Tenacity. But it also offers deathtouch as an additional keyword that has the potential to bolster Toxic-themed draft and sealed decks that also use oil meters.
Players also have the option not to remove an oil counter from Atraxas Skitterfang. And oil meter engines like the Magmatic Sprinter can ensure the Phyrexian Insect never runs out of oil meters to remove.
Atraxa’s Skitterfang will drop in Sealed games during ONE Pre-Release, which begins on February 3rd. A digital launch for Phyrexia: All Will Be One will take place on February 7th.
