Contagion Engine — Magic: The Gathering card

Contagion Engine

{6}
Artifact

When this artifact enters, put a -1/-1 counter on each creature target player controls.

{4}, {T}: Proliferate twice. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there. Then do it again.)

Set Scars of Mirrodin
Rarity Rare
Mana Value 6
Artist Daarken
Collector # 145
Scryfall

Why Play Contagion Engine

Six mana gets you an immediate board impact that weakens opposing creatures while setting up powerful long-term value through repeated proliferate activations. Decks focused on +1/+1 counters, planeswalkers, or poison counters want this as a versatile engine that both disrupts opponents and accelerates your own gameplan. The double proliferate activation can rapidly spiral games out of control, turning modest advantages into overwhelming board states within a few turns.

Format Notes

Commander represents the primary home for this card, where the higher life totals and multiplayer dynamics make the six-mana investment more reasonable and the repeatable effects more impactful. Modern occasionally sees play in dedicated proliferate or superfriends builds, though the mana cost limits competitive viability. Legacy and Vintage rarely feature this card due to faster gameplay, while Historic offers similar applications to Modern with slightly more room for expensive engines.

Combos & Synergies

Planeswalker-heavy decks maximize value by rapidly building toward multiple ultimate abilities, with cards like Inexorable Tide providing additional proliferate triggers. Poison strategies benefit enormously from the double proliferate, making cards like Plaguemaw Beast part of a cohesive infect package. Counter-based creature strategies pair well through cards like Metastatic Evangel, creating a value engine that grows your board while shrinking opponents' creatures each turn.

Learn More

Artifact Proliferate Modern Commander Legacy