Instill Infection
Instant
Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
Draw a card.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.07
- EDHREC rank
- #22472
Instill Infection puts a -1/-1 counter on a creature and draws you a card for four mana — the infect tag is largely incidental in Commander, but the cantrip is what keeps it honest. It's a fine role-player in dedicated -1/-1 counter decks and a reasonable budget inclusion anywhere that needs cheap interaction that replaces itself.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Instill Infection is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker. In Pauper, a cantripping removal spell at common is always worth evaluating, but four mana is too slow for most Pauper midrange or control shells and it sees virtually no play there. Modern and Legacy have access to far more efficient interaction and wouldn't touch it. Commander is its home — the cantrip justifies the slot in any black deck running -1/-1 counter synergies, and at the budget end of the spectrum it competes respectably with pricier options.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.07 bulk tier
At $0.07, Instill Infection is deep bulk — you're essentially getting it for free in any order. That price is stable by nature; a card at this floor has nowhere lower to go and no catalyst to spike.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.