Parasitic Strix
Artifact Creature — Bird
Flying
When this creature enters, if you control a black permanent, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Double Masters
- Price
- $0.05
- EDHREC rank
- #25999
Parasitic Strix drains an opponent for 2 the moment it connects with a black permanent you control, and that trigger stacks every time it enters the battlefield. Pair it with Cavern Harpy for a repeatable loop and the drain becomes a kill condition, not a bonus.
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 |
Commander is where Parasitic Strix earns its keep — enter-the-battlefield loops are plentiful, and draining each opponent for 2 per bounce scales with the 4-player pod in a way it simply cannot in 1v1. In Pauper it sees fringe play in Tortured Existence shells that want cheap recursive creatures with upside, though the payoff is slower without reliable bounce support. Legacy and Vintage could theoretically support the combo infrastructure but have no reason to run Parasitic Strix over faster, more resilient win conditions. Oathbreaker mirrors the Commander dynamic at a compressed scale.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Cavern HarpyParasitic StrixAluren
Infinite ETB; Infinite lifegain; Infinite lifegain triggers; Infinite lifeloss; Infinite LTB; Infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Audacious ReshapersMortuaryIntruder AlarmParasitic Strix
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite lifegain; Infinite lifegain triggers; Infinite lifeloss; Infinite LTB; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite untap of creatures; Infinite untap of creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.05 bulk tier
At $0.05, Parasitic Strix is deep bulk — a penny-bin pickup at any local store or a near-free add on any singles order. Given its niche combo role and limited reprint demand, don't expect the price to move in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.