Phyrexian Totem
Artifact
: Add 
.
: This artifact becomes a 5/5 black Phyrexian Horror artifact creature with trample until end of turn.
Whenever this permanent is dealt damage, if it's a creature, sacrifice that many permanents.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #23340
Phyrexian Totem taps for one black mana or transforms into a 5/5 trampling Horror — but animating it means any damage dealt to it destroys permanents you control equal to that damage. The upside is real; the downside is catastrophic if an opponent blocks or pings it, making this a card for dedicated black-devotion or Phyrexian-tribal shells rather than general mana rocks.
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 |
In Commander, Phyrexian Totem earns a slot in black-devotion decks where its two black pips matter — think Erebos, God of the Dead or Tergrid, God of Fright — and in Phyrexian-tribal lists where the creature type carries weight. Outside those homes it loses to Arcane Signet and its staple peers on every axis. Legacy, Modern, and Vintage are legal on paper, but Phyrexian Totem has never been a competitive factor in any of them; the mana rock role is saturated by faster, safer options.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Phyrexian Totem sits firmly in bulk territory and is unlikely to climb without a reprint-driven spike or a breakout Phyrexian-tribal commander pushing demand. It's a low-risk pickup for the niche decks that want it — just don't expect the price to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.