Spread the Sickness
Sorcery
Destroy target creature, then proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Mirrodin Besieged
- Price
- $0.26
- EDHREC rank
- #11364
Spread the Sickness destroys any target creature and drops a poison counter on an opponent — unconditional removal that doubles as a poison clock. Five mana is the real cost, but in Karumonix, the Rat King builds where every poison counter accelerates the win condition, that premium is worth paying.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Karumonix, the Rat King
Karumonix, the Rat King wins by stacking poison counters, and Spread the Sickness does both jobs at once — it clears a blocker and ticks an opponent closer to ten without requiring a creature to connect.
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon decks are already on the infect plan, and Spread the Sickness slots in as interactive reach — it removes whatever is about to chump or kill Skithiryx while inching a second opponent toward elimination.
The Scorpion God
The Scorpion God draws a card whenever a creature gets a -1/-1 counter, and Spread the Sickness puts one on whatever it kills — a clean two-for-one that replaces itself while answering a threat.
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 Spread the Sickness earns its slot — poison counters are per-player, so even a single pip contributes to a parallel win condition in dedicated infect builds. In Pauper it competes in a removal-dense format where five mana is a steep ask, though the unconditional targeting keeps it playable in slower lists. Legacy and Vintage have no interest; efficient black removal at one or two mana makes Spread the Sickness uncompetitive in those formats. Oathbreaker mirrors Commander in the conditions where it shines — infect signatures or -1/-1 counter commanders make the poison rider meaningful rather than incidental.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.26 bulk tier
At $0.26, Spread the Sickness is deep bulk — easy to acquire as a throw-in or cheap pickup. Price stability is essentially guaranteed at this floor; it won't spike without a dramatic format shift.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Karumonix, the Rat King
- Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon
- The Scorpion God
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.