Festering Mummy
Creature — Zombie
When this creature dies, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Amonkhet Remastered
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #11929
Festering Mummy puts a -1/-1 counter on any creature when it dies — and at one mana, the entry cost is low enough that the trigger is almost free value. In The Scorpion God decks specifically, that death trigger converts directly into card draw, making this a one-drop that replaces itself the moment it trades or gets sacrificed.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card whenever a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, so Festering Mummy's death trigger seeds that condition the moment it leaves the battlefield — one mana for a cantrip stapled to a body is exactly what this engine wants.
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons creates a Deathtouch Snake token every time you put a -1/-1 counter on a creature, and Festering Mummy hands out that counter for free on death — one mana to threaten a token the instant the Mummy hits the graveyard.
Massacre Girl, Known Killer
Massacre Girl, Known Killer gives all your creatures wither, turning every combat into a -1/-1 counter distribution event, and Festering Mummy adds another free counter on death to keep the chain alive and creatures weakened.
Maha, Its Feathers Night
Maha, Its Feathers Night cares about -1/-1 counters leaving creatures, and Festering Mummy contributes to that counter density at the lowest possible mana investment, making it a cheap enabler in a deck that wants counters spread across the board.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Festering Mummy is a role-player, not a headliner — it slots into -1/-1 counter synergy decks and sacrifice loops where the death trigger generates real value, but it does nothing in a vacuum. In Pauper, the one-mana cost and on-death effect are worth a look in recursive black shells, though the effect is modest by that format's standards. Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer are too fast and too powerful for a 1/1 with a conditional triggered ability to matter outside of narrow synergy builds. The honest verdict: Festering Mummy belongs in Commander, specifically in the handful of decks that can convert its trigger into something meaningful.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Festering Mummy is a bulk common — pricing data isn't pinned here, but copies routinely show up in the $0.10–$0.25 range and are easy to find in any common bin or budget order. There's no reason to pay more than a quarter for one, and at that price it's an effortless pickup if you're building any -1/-1 counter Commander deck.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.