Baxter, Fly in the Ointment
Legendary Creature — Insect Mutant Scientist
Whenever Baxter enters or attacks, each creature you control with a counter on it gains flying until end of turn.
Whenever you draw a card, put a +1/+1 counter on Baxter.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Eternal
- Price
- $0.33
- EDHREC rank
- #9834
Baxter, Fly in the Ointment taxes every opponent's draw step with a ping, turning a passive board presence into a clock that scales with table size — that's a lot of damage for a card that costs almost nothing to acquire. Leonardo, the Balance // Michelangelo, the Heart and O'aka, Traveling Merchant both play in high-draw environments where Baxter's trigger fires constantly, which is exactly where this card earns its slot.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy


Leonardo, the Balance // Michelangelo, the Heart
Leonardo, the Balance // Michelangelo, the Heart wheels constantly, which means opponents draw constantly, which means Baxter, Fly in the Ointment is pinging every player on every wheel — a single wheel at a four-player table can represent eight or more damage before anyone attacks.

Arjun, the Shifting Flame
Arjun, the Shifting Flame replaces your hand on every spell cast, triggering mass draw at a furious rate; Baxter, Fly in the Ointment converts that chaos into chip damage that quietly closes games while Arjun keeps the hand churn going.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Baxter, Fly in the Ointment does its best work — three opponents means three triggers per draw step before any wheels or extra draw fire, and multiplayer tables reward exactly this kind of passive damage accumulation. Legacy and Vintage are legal homes on paper, but the effect is too slow and too low-impact for those formats, where games end before Baxter's drip damage becomes relevant. Oathbreaker is worth a mention if you're running a wheel-heavy spellslinger planeswalker, since the format's faster pace and lower life totals make the per-draw ping more meaningful.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card



O'aka, Traveling MerchantMind Over MatterBaxter, Fly in the Ointment
Infinite draw triggers; Infinite looting; Infinite self-discard triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗



Falco Spara, PactweaverSensei's Divining TopBaxter, Fly in the OintmentCemetery Prowler
Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers; Near-infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗



Falco Spara, PactweaverSensei's Divining TopBaxter, Fly in the OintmentCouncil of the Absolute
Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers; Near-infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗



Falco Spara, PactweaverSensei's Divining TopBaxter, Fly in the OintmentGran-Gran
Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers; Near-infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗



Falco Spara, PactweaverSensei's Divining TopBaxter, Fly in the OintmentStarnheim Courser
Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers; Near-infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.33 bulk tier
At $0.33, Baxter, Fly in the Ointment is bulk — you're picking this up as an afterthought in a package, not hunting it down. The price is unlikely to move much unless a high-profile Commander precon features a draw-step punishment theme that pushes demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- O'aka, Traveling Merchant
- Leonardo, the Balance // Michelangelo, the Heart
- Arjun, the Shifting Flame
- Mind Over Matter
- Falco Spara, Pactweaver
- Sensei's Divining Top
- Cemetery Prowler
- Council of the Absolute
- Gran-Gran
- Starnheim Courser
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.