A strategy that wins by dealing 10 poison counters instead of 40 (Commander) or 20 (other formats) damage. Infect creatures deal damage as poison counters, creating an alternative — and faster — win condition.
How Infect Works
Creatures with infect deal damage to players as poison counters and to creatures as -1/-1 counters. Ten poison counters means you lose, regardless of life total. In Commander, this means you only need to deal 10 damage instead of the usual 40 — a massive advantage.
Key Infect Cards
- Blighted Agent — unblockable infect creature
- Glistener Elf — 1-mana infect creature
- Triumph of the Hordes — gives your whole team infect
- Phyrexian Crusader — protection from red and white
Infect + Proliferate
Proliferate adds counters to anything that already has them — including poison counters. Even one poison counter becomes lethal with enough proliferate triggers. Cards like Inexorable Tide turn every spell into poison advancement.
The Infect Debate
Infect in Commander is controversial because 10 poison feels unfair in a 40-life format. Some playgroups house-rule it to 15 or 20. Communicate expectations before the game starts.