Infect is a unique and potent keyword ability in the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering that fundamentally changes how damage is dealt, introducing a distinct pathway to victory or creature destruction through counters.
When a permanent with infect deals damage, it doesn't reduce a player's life total or a creature's toughness in the conventional manner. Instead, it interacts with targets by applying specific types of counters.
The Mechanics of Infect
The effect of infect damage depends on whether it's dealt to a creature or a player. This dual functionality makes infect a versatile and often intimidating mechanic on the battlefield.
Infect Damage to Creatures
When a creature with infect deals damage to another creature, it does not deal regular damage that would reduce its toughness.
- -1/-1 Counters: Instead, the creature dealt damage receives a number of -1/-1 counters equal to the damage dealt.
- Toughness Reduction: These counters permanently reduce the creature's power and toughness.
- State-Based Actions: If a creature's toughness becomes 0 or less due to -1/-1 counters, it is immediately sent to its owner's graveyard as a state-based action.
Example: If a 2/2 creature with infect deals damage to a 3/3 creature, the 3/3 creature will receive two -1/-1 counters, making it a 1/1. If that same 2/2 infect creature then deals damage to a 1/1 creature, the 1/1 creature receives two -1/-1 counters, making it a -1/-1, and is put into the graveyard.
Infect Damage to Players
When a creature with infect deals damage to a player, that player does not lose life as they normally would.
- Poison Counters: Instead, the player gains a number of poison counters equal to the damage dealt.
- Alternate Win Condition: Accumulating poison counters presents an alternative way to win (or lose) the game, distinct from reducing an opponent's life total to zero.
Example: If a 3/3 creature with infect attacks an opponent and is unblocked, that opponent gains three poison counters. Their life total remains unchanged.
The Poison Counter Victory Condition
The ultimate goal for many decks utilizing infect is to win by accumulating poison counters on an opponent.
- Game Loss: A player loses the game immediately if they have ten or more poison counters. This check happens instantly whenever a player would gain a poison counter that brings their total to ten or above.
This unique win condition bypasses traditional life totals, making infect a powerful strategy against decks that rely on high life totals or life gain to survive.
Summary of Infect Effects
To quickly grasp the impact of infect, consider the following breakdown:
| Target of Infect Damage | Effect |
|---|---|
| Creature | Receives -1/-1 counters equal to damage dealt. |
| Player | Gains poison counters equal to damage dealt. |
| Player with 10+ Poison Counters | Loses the game. |
Strategies and Interactions with Infect
- Pump Spells: Spells that increase a creature's power (e.g., "Giant Growth") are incredibly effective with infect, as they translate directly into more -1/-1 counters on creatures or more poison counters on players.
- Proliferate: The "proliferate" mechanic (where you choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of a kind already there) works exceptionally well with infect, allowing you to add more -1/-1 counters to creatures or more poison counters to players without dealing additional damage.
- Removal: Infect creatures often have lower base power and toughness, making them susceptible to traditional removal spells. However, their ability to bypass life totals makes them high-priority targets.
- Damage Modification: Effects that prevent or redirect damage also affect infect damage. For example, if an effect prevents 2 damage from a 3/3 infect creature, it would only deal 1 damage and thus apply only one -1/-1 counter or poison counter.
Infect forces players to adapt their defensive strategies, as protecting against life loss isn't enough; they must also manage the accumulation of poison counters. It adds a thrilling layer of strategy and urgency to gameplay. For more detailed rules and interactions, you can always refer to the official Magic: The Gathering comprehensive rules.
