Phyrexian

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Phyrexian
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/kindred cards)
Statistics
229 cards
{W} 7% {U} 8.7% {B} 42.8% {R} 6.1% {G} 12.2% {B/R} 1.7% {W/B} 0.4% {U/R} 0.4% {B/G} 0.9% {G/U} 0.4% {M} 1.3% {artifact symbol} 17.9%
as of Streets of New Capenna
Scryfall Search
type:"Phyrexian"

Phyrexian is a creature type that was introduced in Kaldheim, and was retroactively added as far back as Antiquities.

Description

A Phyrexian is a compleated creature from Phyrexia, New Phyrexia or similar infested planes. They consist of a mixture of metal and organic matter and can appear in many forms. Phyrexians can often be recognized by features like dripping ichor, eyelessness, cysts, pustules, or the expulsion of noxious gases.[1] Phyrexians in the Machine Orthodoxy of New Phyrexia often have their skin replaced with glossy, porcelain-like armor.[2]

Phyrexians were created by Yawgmoth, a Thran eugenicist who believed beings should be made perfect through artifice and organ rearrangement. Taking over an initially idyllic world thanks to Dyfed, he brought his followers to this new world, the first Phyrexia. Here, they mutated into abominations, though artificial enhancement only began much later on.[3]

History

Although Phyrexians were featured in the Magic storyline very early on, they had never appeared as such on cards. Instead they were Zombies, Minions, Horrors or similar types. Some, like Suture Priest and Tormentor Exarch were deliberately without race.[4]

Phyrexian was regularly requested as a creature type on Blogatog. Mark Rosewater argued that the problem was that there are characters that are clearly Phyrexian by flavor, but not by appearance, and twenty-five years of history and inertia make some changes hard to do.[5]

Phyrexian finally appeared as a creature type on a test card in the Mystery Booster set (Vazal, the Compleat), and was formally introduced in Kaldheim with the lone Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider.[6][7] A large creature type errata was expected,[8] but apparently held back until the release of a set that featured multiple Phyrexians. Modern Horizons 2 reprinted Bone Shredder and Skirge Familiar with the Phyrexian type, and introduced the Phyrexian Germ token for Living weapon. Shortly before the release of MH2, Magic Online updated 224 black-bordered cards, and one silver-bordered card (Phyrexian Librarian).[9] This brought the number of black-bordered Phyrexians on Magic Online to 225. Two older cards that aren't on Magic Online, Phyrexian Gremlins and Priest of Yawgmoth, also received the errata, according to Scryfall,[10] raising their total number to 227 in black border.

Phyrexian Creature Type Update

Creatures

Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider introduced the Phyrexian creature type in Kaldheim. 225 other black-bordered creatures gained the Phyrexian type in the Modern Horizons 2 update.[11]

Token creators and animators

The following cards create Phyrexian tokens or became a Phyrexian after the Modern Horizons 2 update.

Not updated

Phyrexian watermark
Phyrexian by flavor text (and art)
Phyrexian by lore

Tokens

Token Name Color Type Line P/T Text Box Source Printings
Phyrexian Black Creature — Phyrexian 2/2
Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian 0/0
Phyrexian Beast Green Creature — Phyrexian Beast 3/3 Toxic 1
Green Creature — Phyrexian Beast 4/4
Phyrexian Germ Black Creature — Phyrexian Germ 0/0
Phyrexian Goblin Red Creature — Phyrexian Goblin 1/1
Red Creature — Phyrexian Goblin 1/1 Haste
Phyrexian Golem Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Golem 3/3
Phyrexian Horror Red Creature — Phyrexian Horror X/1 Trample, haste
Green Creature — Phyrexian Horror X/X
Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Horror X/X
Phyrexian Hydra Green/​White Creature — Phyrexian Hydra 3/3 Reach
Green/​White Creature — Phyrexian Hydra 3/3 Lifelink
Phyrexian Insect Green Creature — Phyrexian Insect 1/1 Infect
Phyrexian Minion Black Creature — Phyrexian Minion X/X
Phyrexian Mite Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Mite 1/1 Toxic 1
This creature can't block.
Phyrexian Myr Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Myr 1/1
Blue Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Myr 2/1
Phyrexian Saproling Green Creature — Phyrexian Saproling 1/1
Phyrexian Wurm Black Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm 1/2 Deathtouch
Black Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm 2/1 Lifelink
Green Creature — Phyrexian Wurm X/X Trample, toxic 1
Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm 3/3 Deathtouch
Colorless Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Wurm 3/3 Lifelink
Phyrexian Zombie Black Creature — Phyrexian Zombie 2/2
The Hollow Sentinel Colorless Legendary Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Golem 3/3
Furnace-Blessed Conqueror Red/​White Creature — Phyrexian Cleric 3/3 Whenever Furnace-Blessed Conqueror attacks, create a token that’s a copy of it. Put a +1/+1 counter on that token for each +1/+1 counter on Furnace-Blessed Conqueror. Sacrifice that token at the beginning of the next end step.

Notable Phyrexians

See also

References