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  3. Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

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Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Dragon Skeleton

Skithiryx wants a deck that wins with poison counters instead of damage. It also works in a deck built around Dragons, Phyrexians or Skeletons.

  • Mana cost3 genericblackblack
  • Black ()
  • Power / toughness4 / 4
  • RarityMythic

Flying

Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)

black: Skithiryx gains haste until end of turn.

blackblack: Regenerate Skithiryx.

Build a deck with Skithiryx Find it in the app

Archetypes

Cards That Fit Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

Picked for what they do in Skithiryx's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Skithiryx's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

Does what Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon does6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

explain how Skithiryx works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

A player who has ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

Activating the regeneration ability creates a replacement effect that acts like a shield, replacing the next time Skithiryx would be destroyed that turn. The shield works against effects that try to destroy Skithiryx or lethal damage that would be dealt to Skithiryx.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

Damage from a source with infect is damage in all respects. If the source with infect also has lifelink, damage dealt by that source also causes its controller to gain that much life. Damage from a source with infect can be prevented or redirected. Abilities that trigger on damage being dealt will trigger if a source with infect deals damage, if appropriate.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

Damage that a creature with infect deals doesn't result in damage being marked on a creature or a player losing life. Instead, it results in that many -1/-1 counters being put on that creature or that many poison counters being given to that player. Damage dealt to planeswalkers still results in that planeswalker losing that many loyalty counters. Damage dealt to battles still results in that battle losing that many defense counters.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

If the regeneration shield is used, Skithiryx isn't destroyed, all damage marked on Skithiryx is healed, it becomes tapped, and it's removed from combat (if applicable).

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

Skithiryx can regenerate even if it isn't in combat, it's already tapped, or it's undamaged.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

The -1/-1 counters remain on the creature indefinitely. They're not removed if the creature regenerates or the turn ends.

7 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Skithiryx, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryBPlayers write colors as letters: B for black.Infect/ToxicInfect and toxic decks win with poison counters instead of damage: a player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. Creatures with infect give players poison counters instead of normal damage, and creatures with toxic give poison counters on top of their combat damage.Open the Infect/Toxic pagePoisonGives out poison counters, or gets stronger when opponents have them. A player who has ten or more poison counters loses the game. Cards with the keyword infect or toxic hand out poison counters when they deal damage to a player.Open the Poison page-1/-1 CountersPuts -1/-1 counters on creatures, lowering their power and toughness for good. Unlike damage, which wears off at the end of the turn, the counters stay, and a creature whose toughness reaches zero dies. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician, Devoted DruidOpen the -1/-1 Counters pageMana SinkGives you somewhere useful to spend spare mana, usually through an ability you can activate again and again. Rogue's Passage, Mind StoneOpen the Mana Sink page