Necropede
Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Insect
Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
When this creature dies, you may put a -1/-1 counter on target creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Scars of Mirrodin
- Price
- $0.34
- EDHREC rank
- #9234
Necropede puts a -1/-1 counter on something when it enters or dies, which is exactly the kind of redundant trigger engine that The Scorpion God wants stacked in multiples. Two mana for an infect body that interacts twice is a clean rate — run it without hesitation in any deck that cares about -1/-1 counters.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Scorpion God
Necropede feeds The Scorpion God's draw engine on both entry and death, meaning a single two-mana creature can draw two cards across a game while shrinking opposing threats. Every -1/-1 counter Necropede places is a free card waiting to be claimed.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
Necropede fills the proliferate-and-poison supporting role that Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon needs to close games faster — the infect keyword means those two triggered -1/-1 counters can land directly as poison counters with the right setup. It's a cheap, expendable threat that keeps the poison clock ticking even when Skithiryx is answered.
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 | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Necropede is a Commander staple in the narrow but dedicated slice of -1/-1 counter and infect decks, where its double-trigger value is genuinely hard to replicate at two mana. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but sees no real play — infect strategies there want faster, more explosive threats, and Necropede's incremental value doesn't translate to those speeds. Modern infect has historically ignored it for the same reason; Glistener Elf and Blighted Agent are doing different work. Commander is where Necropede earns its slot, and it earns it specifically — outside of dedicated counter-synergy shells, it's a 1/1 with marginal text.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.34 bulk tier
At $0.34, Necropede is firmly bulk, which is accurate — it's a niche roleplayer with no crossover appeal outside its target archetypes. The price is stable and unlikely to move meaningfully in either direction; pick it up whenever you need it without a second thought.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- The Scorpion God
- Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.