Quillspike
Creature — Beast
, Remove a -1/-1 counter from a creature you control: This creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BG
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Eventide
- Price
- $10.66
- EDHREC rank
- #13078
Quillspike is a one-card infinite-power threat the moment Devoted Druid hits the table — remove a -1/-1 counter to untap Devoted Druid, repeat until Quillspike is arbitrarily large, then attack. The combo is two creatures, costs nothing beyond their mana, and slots into any -1/-1 counter shell anchored by Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons without a single extra piece.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons puts -1/-1 counters on creatures as a core mechanic, which means every Devoted Druid activation feeds Quillspike and simultaneously produces a Snake token — the loop generates an arbitrarily large board, not just one big attacker.
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch distributes -1/-1 counters as part of its curse engine, giving Quillspike a steady fuel source that scales with how aggressively Auntie Ool is deployed across the table.
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 |
Commander is where Quillspike lives — the two-card infinite with Devoted Druid is clean enough to justify a slot in any -1/-1 counter deck, and the 1/1 body is irrelevant because the whole point is the activated ability. In Legacy and Vintage, the combo is legal but competes with faster, more resilient win conditions and never sees serious play. Modern is the same story: the pieces are individually weak, tutors don't help enough, and the format has moved past fair creature combos at this speed. Quillspike is a Commander card in practice regardless of the legality lines.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
QuillspikePhyrexian AltarPutrid Goblin
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinitely large creature until end of turn; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
QuillspikePhyrexian AltarPuppeteer Clique
Infinite colored mana; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinitely large creature until end of turn; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Return all creature cards from each opponent's graveyard to the battlefield under your control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
QuillspikePhyrexian AltarWoodfall Primus
Destroy all noncreature permanents opponents control each turn; Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinitely large creature until end of turn; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Lock; Mass Land Denial
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
QuillspikePhyrexian AltarRendclaw Trow
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinitely large creature until end of turn; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
There is no true budget replacement for Quillspike because it occupies a unique combo role — no other card removes a -1/-1 counter to gain +3/+3, which is the specific interaction that makes the Devoted Druid loop work. If the goal is just a large attacker that scales with -1/-1 counter removal, Necroskitter and Serrated Arrows create counter synergies, but neither closes a game the way Quillspike does with a single combo partner.
Price Context
Current price
$10.66 mid tier
At $10.66, Quillspike sits in the mid tier — expensive for a 1/1 with no immediate board impact, but the price reflects its status as the cleanest half of an infinite combo in a popular archetype. It has held this range because the Devoted Druid pairing keeps demand steady; don't expect it to drop significantly as long as -1/-1 counter commanders remain in print.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.