Die last or die trying.
Legions was perhaps the craziest Magic: The Gathering set ever conceived. For some reason, the designers at Wizards of the Coast went with all creatures — there’s not a single instant, sorcery, enchantment, or artifact in the set. As expected, it wasn’t very good (despite being the best choice for a Summon the Pack), and honestly, it doesn’t even have many valuable cards, save Seedborn Muse. However, it did produce one of the most interesting, mechanically unique, and highest risk Commanders available in Phage the Untouchable.
Here at the Commander Bestiary, we aim to bring deck guides for all Commanders, from the best to the near-unplayable. Phage falls into the latter category, but with the right setup and some clever deckbuilding, she can take opponents from 40 to nothing out of nowhere.
Who is Phage the Untouchable in Magic: The Gathering?
Phage the Untouchable
Secret Lair Drop Series, Mythic
Phage (formerly known as Jeska) was the sister of Kamahl. After Kamahl nearly kills her in a frenzy, she’s brought to the Cabal Patriarch, who accidentally transforms her into Phage, cursed to destroy anything she touches. Later, in a conflict with Akroma, Kamahl slays both of them in one swing with the newly forged Mirari sword, melding them together into Karona.
Phage the Untouchable’s Strengths
Phage has a unique upside compared to any other Commander: she can kill a player with a single point of combat damage, without needing anything else. Unlike other Voltron (or Equipment-focused) Commanders, which typically need Auras and Equipment to boost their power to 21, Phage just needs to hit once and make them lose the game.
Mono-black also gains access to powerful mana production in Cabal Coffers and mana doublers like Crypt Ghast or Nirkana Revenant. Phage can be a bit pricey, but it’s trivial to produce dozens of mana to cast her time and time again.
Phage the Untouchable’s Weaknesses
Yeah, that whole “you lose the game” text is a pretty big downside. You can’t even cast her from the command zone without just straight-up losing (don’t worry, there are workarounds). Even with some clever ways to cheat her out, there’s still a risk someone removes a key piece, and you just lose the game. But hey, we’re not here for optimized gameplay, we’re here to play with Phage.
Even if you get around all the “lose the game” text, she’s also just really below rate. Seven mana for a 4/4 with pseudo-deathtouch isn’t good (at least real deathtouch combines with trample to make blocking hard), and she has no protection and no other keywords.
The Best MTG Commander Archetypes for Phage the Untouchable
Phage is good at one thing and one thing only — killing players with a single hit. Therefore, she leans heavily on Voltron, but won’t require the usual buffing pieces to get her going, where all you really need is evasion and protection. As with every mono-black deck, it’s easy to make a ton of mana, so going for big spells like Exsanguinate when all else fails isn’t a bad backup. If anything, think of Phage as a control-Voltron hybrid deck — keep the board clear, answer threats, and slip Phage in for a hit once the coast is clear.
The Best MTG Cards You Should Play with Phage the Untouchable
If you’re looking to play Phage (and actually cast her without losing) in Commander, you’ll need these cards:
- Torpor Orb
- Command Beacon
- Campfire
- Platinum Angel
- Netherborn Altar
- Endless Whispers
- Cabal Coffers
How to Play Phage the Untouchable in Commander
Market Price: $24.19
Market Price: $12.23
Phage is a tough one to get work. There’s a ton of risk to running Phage out, and unlike other Commander decks, she’s not a constant resource to draw on if resources run thin. Instead, you’ll have to stay a step ahead of opponents, whittle down their interaction, and play her when they’re unable to interact to start plucking off players.
Early in the game, it’s best to try to maximize value from your cards. A three-for-one like Sheoldred’s Edict or Soul Shatter will help keep you ahead in trades, while mana-efficient removal like Snuff Out will stop key threats. Like a control deck, you’ll want to keep cards steadily coming — Night’s Whisper, Stinging Study, and Necropotence will get you the most bang for your buck.
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Market Price: $52.88
Once the board is stable, it’s time to start assembling your win and stripping your opponents of resources. The deck is pretty creature-light, so a slew of board wipes like Damnation, Toxic Deluge, and Mutilate will deflate opponents’ aggression. Black is heavy on tutors, so Demonic Tutor, Grim Tutor, and Dark Petition can grab whatever you need, including ways to get Phage out. Finally, stopping boards isn’t enough, as you’ll need to hit hands to make sure Phage doesn’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Myojin of Night’s Reach and Cabal Conditioning both offer one-sided mass discard, which should leave them powerless to that fabled single Phage hit.
Now comes the wacky parts — actually playing Phage. As mentioned, casting Phage from the command zone will lose you the game, but there are ways around that. First, you can stop the trigger from happening or resolving where Torpor Orb does this easily, but Sundial of the Infinite can work in a pinch (not featured in this deck list). Second, you can choose not to cast Phage from the command zone, using Command Beacon, Campfire, or Netherborn Altar to put her right into your hand. Finally, you can simply not lose the game with Platinum Angel, which also works nicely with all your protection pieces.
Once Phage is online, connecting with an opponent can be easy. Rogue’s Passage, Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress, and Shizo, Death’s Storehouse provide some nice evasion in the land slots, while Whispersilk Cloak provides both evasion and protection. However, if she can’t punch through or you want some style points, you can land Endless Whispers, throw a removal spell at her, and generously donate her to an opponent at the end step. Since she entered under their control from somewhere other than the hand, your opponent gets a “lose the game” trigger instead of you. You can even activate Homeward Path in response to get her back!
In all honesty, Phage isn’t the best Commander, but you’re not playing Commander to always be the best. Sometimes you just want to try something novel and get a few good laughs along the way. If you’re looking for a way to play the game that’s completely unique, giving opponents that single poke with Phage will scratch an itch you never knew you had.
Commander
Phage the Untouchable
Market Price:$596.57
Maindeck, 99 cards
Sortsort deckCommander (1)
- 1Phage the Untouchable
Creature (12)
- 1Boggart Trawler
- 1Crypt Ghast
- 1Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
- 1Dread Presence
- 1K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth
- 1Morbid Opportunist
- 1Myojin of Night’s Reach
- 1Nirkana Revenant
- 1Platinum Angel
- 1Solemn Simulacrum
- 1Twilight Prophet
- 1Vilis, Broker of Blood
Planeswalker (1)
- 1Liliana of the Dark Realms
Sorcery (15)
- 1Breach the Multiverse
- 1Cabal Conditioning
- 1Damnation
- 1Dark Petition
- 1Decree of Pain
- 1Demonic Tutor
- 1Exsanguinate
- 1Grim Tutor
- 1Mutilate
- 1Night’s Whisper
- 1Profane Transfusion
- 1Read the Bones
- 1Sign in Blood
- 1Toxic Deluge
- 1Yawgmoth’s Will
Instant (16)
- 1Defile
- 1Dismember
- 1Erebos’s Intervention
- 1Fell the Profane
- 1Hagra Mauling
- 1Hero’s Downfall
- 1Imp’s Mischief
- 1March of Wretched Sorrow
- 1Sheoldred’s Edict
- 1Slaughter Pact
- 1Snuff Out
- 1Soul Shatter
- 1Stinging Study
- 1Stunning Reversal
- 1Sudden Death
- 1Vampiric Tutor
Artifact (13)
- 1Campfire
- 1Expedition Map
- 1Gauntlet of Power
- 1Lightning Greaves
- 1Manascape Refractor
- 1Mind Stone
- 1Netherborn Altar
- 1Sol Ring
- 1Swiftfoot Boots
- 1Thought Vessel
- 1Torpor Orb
- 1Wayfarer’s Bauble
- 1Whispersilk Cloak
Enchantment (3)
- 1Endless Whispers
- 1Necropotence
- 1Oubliette
Land (39)
- 1Barren Moor
- 1Bojuka Bog
- 1Cabal Coffers
- 1Cabal Stronghold
- 1Command Beacon
- 1Deserted Temple
- 1Homeward Path
- 1Lake of the Dead
- 1Maze of Ith
- 1Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress
- 1Myriad Landscape
- 1Reliquary Tower
- 1Rogue’s Passage
- 1Shizo, Death’s Storehouse
- 22Swamp
- 1Tectonic Edge
- 1Terrain Generator
- 1Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
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