Purestrain Genestealer
Creature — Tyranid
This creature enters with two +1/+1 counters on it.
Vanguard Species — Whenever this creature attacks, you may remove a +1/+1 counter from it. If you do, search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Warhammer 40,000 Commander
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #10861
Purestrain Genestealer hits the table as an unblockable threat that proliferates on damage, snowballing counters every combat step. The Swarmlord unlocks its full ceiling, but even outside that shell the rate is real for any deck that cares about +1/+1 counters or keyword-soup creatures.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
The Swarmlord
The Swarmlord's triggered proliferate on Tyranid damage makes Purestrain Genestealer a recursive engine — unblockable damage triggers The Swarmlord, which spreads counters across the board, which makes every subsequent hit larger.
Magus Lucea Kane
Magus Lucea Kane's copy ability doubles Purestrain Genestealer's X-cost abilities, and the free copy means two unblockable bodies threatening proliferate triggers simultaneously.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Purestrain Genestealer actually lives — the 71% inclusion rate in The Swarmlord decks confirms it's a core piece of that archetype, not a fringe inclusion. Legacy and Vintage technically permit it, but unblockable creatures without immediate haymaker impact don't compete at those power levels. Oathbreaker is a viable home if your planeswalker cares about counters or combat damage triggers. Everywhere else it's simply not legal.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current price data for Purestrain Genestealer isn't available in this context, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for a live number. Given its 70%+ inclusion rate in The Swarmlord decks and niche appeal outside Tyranid lists, it likely prices as a narrow-synergy uncommon or low-value rare — worth picking up if you're building the archetype, not otherwise.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.