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Contagion Engine

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.)

CMC
6
Mana cost
{6}
Color identity
C
Rarity
rare
Set
Scars of Mirrodin
Price
$16.95
EDHREC rank
#1789
Buy on TCGplayer
Contagion Engine card art
Contagion Engine enters, immediately puts a -1/-1 counter on every creature an opponent controls, then proliferates twice per activation for six mana — that's a board-control engine and a counter-doubler on the same card. Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus cuts the activation cost in half, and The Scorpion God turns every -1/-1 counter into a card draw; either commander makes this an auto-include.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
The Scorpion God

The Scorpion God

64.4% of decks · synergy 0.64

The Scorpion God draws a card whenever any creature gets a -1/-1 counter, so Contagion Engine's entry trigger and each proliferate activation generate immediate card advantage — the Engine is effectively a repeatable draw engine in this deck.

02
Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus

Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus

63.8% of decks · synergy 0.62

Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus doubles every proliferate trigger, turning Contagion Engine's already-powerful activation into four instances of proliferate for three mana — that's the kind of exponential scaling that ends games.

03
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons

50.6% of decks · synergy 0.49

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons creates a 1/1 deathtouch Snake whenever a creature gets a -1/-1 counter placed on it, so Contagion Engine's mass-counter entry trigger and every proliferate activation flood the board with tokens.

04
Massacre Girl, Known Killer

Massacre Girl, Known Killer

41.5% of decks · synergy 0.40

Massacre Girl, Known Killer gives your creatures wither, and Contagion Engine's proliferate keeps stacking those -1/-1 counters after combat — together they turn every attack step into a board-wipe threat.

05
The Reaper, King No More

The Reaper, King No More

37.8% of decks · synergy 0.35

The Reaper, King No More cares about creatures dying with -1/-1 counters on them, and Contagion Engine is one of the most efficient ways to spread and stack those counters across multiple opponents' boards.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Contagion Engine is a Commander card through and through — six mana plus four to activate is a steep ask in any 60-card format, and competitive Legacy and Vintage have no interest in a slow artifact that doesn't win on the spot. Modern is theoretically legal but entirely unplayed; the format moves too fast for a six-drop that doesn't immediately close games. In Commander, though, the math flips: six mana is reachable by turn four or five in a typical game, the activated ability punishes the slower, more durable boards that define multiplayer, and the combination of board disruption and proliferate synergy makes Contagion Engine a workhorse in any deck that cares about counters.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Budget Alternatives

Cheaper options that do most of the same work

Contagion Clasp and Contagion Engine share the proliferate mechanic, but Clasp only hits one target on entry and proliferates once per activation for four mana — it's functional at under $1 but noticeably weaker in any shell that wants mass counter placement. Grim Affliction ($0.50) offers a single instant-speed proliferate stapled to a -1/-1 counter for three mana, which is efficient but nonrepeatable — you'd want several copies in effect to approximate what Contagion Engine does on its own.

Price Context

Current price

$16.95 mid tier

At $16.95, Contagion Engine sits in the mid tier — expensive enough to feel like a deliberate inclusion, but not so costly that it's out of reach for most Commander budgets. It's been printed multiple times and the price reflects genuine demand from -1/-1 counter and proliferate strategies rather than artificial scarcity, so it's a stable buy for the decks that want it.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.