# Witherbloom And A Diabolic Revelation...

A month ago, <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M13-87" title="Diabolic Revelation" /> was a dollar rare nobody really thought about...

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-M13-87" size="lg" />

 

Today it's pushing $12. The culprit? A big, beautiful Elder Dragon that turns every creature on your board into a Black Lotus for instants and sorceries.

Let's talk about why **Witherbloom, the Balancer** is the most popular commander from Secrets of Strixhaven — and the synergies that are making it a format menace.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOS-245" size="lg" />

## What Does It Do?

On paper, Witherbloom is an eight-mana 5/5 Elder Dragon with flying and deathtouch. That sounds unplayable. But then you read the rest of the card.

**Affinity for creatures.** Witherbloom itself costs <BlogMana text="{1}" /> less for each creature you control. Got four creatures out? It's a four-mana 5/5 flyer with deathtouch. Got six? Now it's a two-mana dragon. That's already absurd.

But the real line that breaks the game is the last one: _Instant and sorcery spells you cast have affinity for creatures._ Every single instant and sorcery you cast gets the same discount on its generic mana. With five creatures on board, a spell with five generic in its cost pays zero for that portion — you just cover the colored pips. With enough creatures, even the splashiest spells become nearly free.

This turns every creature token on your battlefield into a discount engine for your spells. And in a color pair that can churn out tokens through sacrifice loops, graveyard recursion, and Saproling generators, creatures are never in short supply.

## The Combo That Started It All: Sprout Swarm

This is the interaction that broke the internet — and the secondary market.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-PLST-FUT-138" size="lg" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-FUT-138" title="Sprout Swarm" /> is a two-mana instant from Future Sight with buyback <BlogMana text="{3}" /> and convoke. Under normal circumstances, it's a clunky token maker. With Witherbloom on the field, it's an infinite combo.

Here's how it works:

1. Control Witherbloom and at least three other creatures (four total)
2. Cast Sprout Swarm with buyback — base cost <BlogMana text="{1}{G}" />, plus buyback <BlogMana text="{3}" />, totaling <BlogMana text="{4}{G}" />
3. Witherbloom's affinity counts all four creatures you control, reducing the generic portion by 4 — leaving just <BlogMana text="{G}" />
4. Pay <BlogMana text="{G}" /> from a land, or convoke it by tapping one of your green creatures (Saprolings are green)
5. Sprout Swarm resolves — create a 1/1 green Saproling, and Sprout Swarm returns to your hand
6. Now you have five creatures. The next cast costs <BlogMana text="{G}" /> again, and you can tap the new Saproling to convoke it
7. Repeat. Forever. At instant speed. No mana needed after the first iteration.

You end up with an arbitrarily large number of Saproling tokens. By itself that's a lot of 1/1s, but the real punch comes from what you cast next — because with a million creatures, every spell you own costs nothing but its colored pips.

## The Kill Shots

Once you have infinite creatures (and therefore infinite affinity), you need a way to win on the spot. These are the finishers.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-FDN-173,MTG-PLST-HOU-77" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-FDN-173" title="Exsanguinate" /> is the cleanest kill. With infinite creatures giving you infinite affinity, set X to whatever number you want. Each opponent loses X life, you gain it all. Game over.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-HOU-77" title="Torment of Hailfire" /> does the same thing but meaner. Each opponent loses 3 life X times — unless they sacrifice a nonland permanent or discard a card to dodge each hit. With X set to a million, nobody has enough cards or permanents to survive.

Both of these are sorceries, so they get the full affinity discount from Witherbloom. With infinite creatures, the generic and X costs vanish entirely. You're casting them for just <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" /> — the colored pips that affinity can't reduce.

## The Card That Spiked 1046%

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-M13-87" size="lg" />

 

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-M13-87" title="Diabolic Revelation" /> was a forgotten Magic 2013 rare trading for about a dollar for over a decade. Then Witherbloom got leaked on March 26th, and the card immediately started climbing.

Why? Because Diabolic Revelation is a <BlogMana text="{X}{3}{B}{B}" /> sorcery that tutors for X cards. That's 3+X generic mana plus <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" />. With Witherbloom and six other creatures on the field (seven total), the affinity discount covers all 7 generic mana of an X=4 cast — meaning you tutor for four cards and pay just <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" />. With a bigger board it gets even more ridiculous.

Grab Sprout Swarm, Exsanguinate, and whatever backup piece you need — all in one shot for practically nothing. Over 2,300 Witherbloom decks on EDHREC have already adopted it, and with only a handful of listings left on TCGPlayer, the price might still have room to climb.

**Current price:** Near-mint copies are sitting around $12, down from a peak of $16. If you need one, grab it before the next spike.

## The Engine Room: Creatures That Enable Everything

Witherbloom wants two things: creatures on the board and powerful spells to discount. These creatures pull double duty.

### Token Generators

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-OTC-187,MTG-SLD-1902,MTG-OTP-30" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-OTC-187" title="Avenger of Zendikar" /> is the gold standard. Drop it with a few lands and you've got a board full of Plant tokens — each one reducing the cost of your next spell. Follow up with a land drop and those 0/1s become a real threat.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1902" title="Tendershoot Dryad" /> generates a 1/1 Saproling on every upkeep (including your opponents'), and if you hit the city's blessing, they're all 3/3s. With four players, that's four free creatures per turn cycle.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-OTP-30" title="Pest Infestation" /> is especially filthy here. It's a <BlogMana text="{X}{X}{G}" /> sorcery that destroys up to X artifacts and/or enchantments and creates **twice X** 1/1 Pest tokens. Witherbloom's affinity slashes the generic portion of that double-X cost, so you can nuke the table's mana rocks and Rhystic Studies while flooding the board with Pests — and getting _double_ the creature count for your affinity math.

### Creatures That Ramp You

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PLST-NCC-319,MTG-BLC-62" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-NCC-319" title="Wall of Roots" /> is a quiet all-star. It's a creature (counts for affinity), it makes mana (ramps you toward Witherbloom), and it can activate on each player's turn. It's the kind of boring, efficient card that holds a deck together.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-62" title="Brightcap Badger" /> from Bloomburrow Commander is a 3/4 Badger Druid for <BlogMana text="{3}{G}" /> that turns your Saproling army into a mana base. Every Fungus and Saproling you control taps for <BlogMana text="{G}" />, and at your end step it creates another 1/1 Saproling. In a deck that's already making Saprolings with Sprout Swarm and Tendershoot Dryad, Brightcap Badger turns each of those tokens into both an affinity discount _and_ a green mana source.

## The Draw Engine

You're casting big spells for cheap and generating tons of tokens. You need to keep the cards flowing.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PLST-CMD-260,MTG-ELD-172,MTG-BLC-255" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-CMD-260" title="Skullclamp" /> needs no introduction. Equip it to a 1/1 token, it dies, you draw two cards. The equip cost is <BlogMana text="{1}" />, so it's not free even with infinite creatures (affinity only reduces spell costs, not activated abilities), but paying one mana to draw two cards is still one of the best rates in the game. You'll churn through your deck fast.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-ELD-172" title="Return of the Wildspeaker" /> draws cards equal to the greatest power among non-Human creatures you control — that's five with Witherbloom out. Or it gives all your non-Humans +3/+3 until end of turn. Either mode is devastating, and since it costs <BlogMana text="{4}{G}" />, affinity with four or more creatures reduces it to just <BlogMana text="{G}" />. A single green mana to draw five cards.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-255" title="Moldervine Reclamation" /> turns every creature death into a card and a life point. With tokens dying to Skullclamp or combat, this keeps your hand full and your life total healthy.

## Budget vs. Premium Picks

Not everyone wants to drop $30 on a Craterhoof Behemoth. Here's how to build Witherbloom on a budget — and where to invest if you want to go all-in.

### Budget All-Stars (Under $5)

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EA2-11" title="Zulaport Cutthroat" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-C17-99" title="Blood Artist" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-247" title="Witherbloom Apprentice" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MUL-167" title="Dina, Soul Steeper" listItem="T" />
<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1609" title="Beastmaster Ascension" listItem="T" />

The drain effects turn every creature death into damage to your opponents. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-247" title="Witherbloom Apprentice" /> is especially neat — it drains opponents whenever you cast or copy an instant or sorcery, and in this deck you're casting a _lot_ of them for cheap.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1609" title="Beastmaster Ascension" /> is the budget alternative to Craterhoof — seven creatures attacking flips it on, giving everything +5/+5. In a token deck, that happens on the first big swing.

### Premium Upgrades

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-MM3-122,MTG-BLC-82" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MM3-122" title="Craterhoof Behemoth" /> is the classic green finisher. With a massive board of tokens, it gives everything +X/+X where X is your creature count. That's usually lethal.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BLC-82" title="Chatterfang, Squirrel General" /> is disgusting in this deck. Whenever you create tokens — Saprolings from Sprout Swarm, Pests from Pest Infestation, Plants from Avenger — Chatterfang creates that many additional Squirrel tokens. Your token production literally doubles. And with the Sprout Swarm combo, each Saproling brings a Squirrel buddy, meaning your creature count spirals even faster. Chatterfang also doubles as targeted removal: pay <BlogMana text="{B}" /> and sacrifice X Squirrels to give a creature +X/-X.

## Secret Tech: Chain of Smog

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-PLST-ONS-132" size="lg" />

 

Here's a backup win condition that doesn't even need the commander on the field. <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-ONS-132" title="Chain of Smog" /> is a two-mana sorcery that makes a player discard two cards, and that player may copy it choosing a new target. By itself it's a mediocre discard spell. But with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-STX-247" title="Witherbloom Apprentice" /> on the field, each copy triggers magecraft, draining each opponent for 1 life.

The loop: cast Chain of Smog targeting yourself, discard two cards, then copy it targeting yourself again. Each copy triggers the Apprentice. You'll empty your hand in the process, but once you're out of cards you're still discarding zero and copying — the loop continues indefinitely, draining the table to death.

It's a two-card, four-mana win condition that gives your deck redundancy beyond the Sprout Swarm plan.

## The Board Wipe Nobody Sees Coming

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-C19-121" size="lg" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-C19-121" title="In Garruk's Wake" /> is a nine-mana sorcery that destroys all creatures and planeswalkers you don't control. Nine mana is usually unplayable. But with Witherbloom out, you only need seven total creatures (including Witherbloom itself) to cover the entire <BlogMana text="{7}" /> generic cost — leaving just <BlogMana text="{B}{B}" />. Two mana to one-sided wrath the entire table.

Follow it up with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-MM2-153" title="Overwhelming Stampede" />, which gives your creatures +X/+X and trample where X is your greatest power. With Witherbloom as a 5/5, that's +5/+5 across your board for just <BlogMana text="{G}{G}" />. Wipe their board, pump your team, swing for lethal.

## Should You Build It?

Witherbloom, the Balancer is the real deal. It takes the two things Golgari already does well — making creatures and casting powerful spells — and connects them with an engine that scales exponentially. The more creatures you have, the cheaper your spells are. The cheaper your spells are, the more creatures you make. It's a positive feedback loop that snowballs out of control fast.

The Sprout Swarm combo is the flashy finish, but the day-to-day gameplay of just casting six-mana spells for two mana is what makes this deck _fun_. Every turn feels like you're cheating.

### The Weaknesses

Witherbloom is strong, but it's not unbeatable. The deck is heavily commander-dependent — without Witherbloom on the field, your seven-mana spells cost seven mana again. Targeted removal like **Swords to Plowshares** or a well-timed **Counterspell** on the commander can set you back significantly. Board wipes that hit before you reach critical mass are also brutal, since your affinity discount shrinks with every creature you lose.

If you're playing _against_ Witherbloom, the key is don't let the engine get rolling. Kill the dragon on sight, and save your instant-speed removal for the Sprout Swarm turn. Once the combo starts, it's too late.

### The Verdict

If you're building it, grab your Diabolic Revelations and Sprout Swarms now — both have already spiked and supply is thin. The deck has multiple paths to victory (Sprout Swarm combo, Chain of Smog + Apprentice, or just raw value from discounted spells), which makes it resilient and hard to hate out.

At a casual table, it's a blast. At a competitive one, it's a legitimate threat. Either way, Witherbloom is the commander of the season for a reason.

What's your spiciest Witherbloom tech? Drop it in the comments — we want to see the brews.

Witherbloom, the Balancer Is Wild

# From Bulk Bin to $8: How Eye of Nidhogg Became Commander Gold

A week ago, Eye of Nidhogg was a $0.30 bulk rare sitting forgotten in your Final Fantasy Commander precon. Today, it's selling for $5 to $8 — and the surge foil has hit $14.50. That's a **515% spike** on the regular version and over **1,500%** on the foil.

So what happened? One word: **Killian**.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-FIC-115" size="lg" />

## The Catalyst: Killian, Decisive Mentor

When Wizards revealed the Silverquill Influence precon from **Secrets of Strixhaven** (dropping April 24), players immediately noticed that its commander was basically designed to abuse Eye of Nidhogg.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOC-4" size="lg" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-4" title="Killian, Decisive Mentor" /> is a <BlogMana text="{1}{W}{B}" /> 2/3 Human Warlock with two abilities that play together beautifully:

1. **Whenever an enchantment you control enters**, tap up to one target creature and goad it.
2. **Whenever one or more creatures enchanted by an Aura you control attack**, draw a card.

Eye of Nidhogg checks every box. It's an Aura. It goads. It turns whatever it touches into a 4/2 flying deathtouch Dragon. And when the enchanted creature inevitably dies in combat? **It comes right back to your hand** to do it all over again.

Cast Eye of Nidhogg on an opponent's creature → Killian triggers to tap and goad _another_ creature → the enchanted creature attacks someone else as a 4/2 deathtouch flyer → you draw a card → the creature dies → Eye comes back → repeat next turn.

That's a one-card engine for three mana. No wonder people are buying them by the stack.

## Wait, What's Goad Again?

If you're newer to Commander or haven't played with **goad** much, here's the rundown.

When a creature is **goaded**, it _must_ attack on its next combat — and it _must_ attack a player other than you if able. The creature's controller still chooses who to attack (as long as it isn't you), and it still has to follow normal attacking rules, but it can't just sit back and block.

Goad is the great political equalizer of Commander. You're not removing threats — you're redirecting them. That blocker your opponent was saving? Now it's swinging at someone else. That value engine they were hiding behind? It's in the red zone whether they like it or not.

The key thing about goad in Killian decks is that **you get to double-dip**. Eye of Nidhogg goads the creature it enchants (baked into the card), and Killian goads _another_ creature when the Aura enters. That's two creatures forced into combat from a single three-mana play.

## The Self-Recurring Dream

What makes Eye of Nidhogg truly special isn't just the goad — it's the **return-to-hand clause**. When Eye of Nidhogg is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, it bounces back to your hand. No extra mana, no conditions, no tap abilities. It just comes back.

This means every time the creature it's enchanting dies in combat (which happens a lot when you're forcing a 4/2 deathtouch into the red zone), you get to recast it next turn and trigger Killian all over again. It's a renewable resource in a format that usually forces you to spend cards.

Here are the other self-recurring Auras you'll want alongside it:

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-SLD-1843,MTG-THS-14,MTG-WAR-94" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SLD-1843" title="Ghoulish Impetus" listItem="T" /> — Another goad Aura that returns to hand. The evil twin of Eye of Nidhogg (without the deathtouch upgrade, but with a life drain rider).

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-THS-14" title="Gift of Immortality" listItem="T" /> — Returns to the battlefield attached to the same creature when it dies. Infinite protection for your own stuff, or an infinite nuisance on an opponent's creature.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WAR-94" title="Kaya's Ghostform" listItem="T" /> — Only one mana, and when the enchanted creature dies, it returns to the battlefield. Incredible protection for Killian himself.

## The Impetus Cycle: Your Goad Package

The Impetus cycle is tailor-made for Killian. Each one goads the enchanted creature _and_ gives you a bonus when it attacks.

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-C21-150,MTG-CLU-65,MTG-SOC-24" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-C21-150" title="Parasitic Impetus" listItem="T" /> — The enchanted creature's controller loses 2 life and you gain 2 life whenever it attacks. Slow drain that adds up fast in a four-player game.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CLU-65" title="Martial Impetus" listItem="T" /> — Gives +1/+1 and goads. Simple and effective.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-24" title="Coercive Impetus" listItem="T" /> — A new addition from the Strixhaven Commander set itself. Perfect on-theme inclusion.

## Drawing Cards Off Other People's Creatures

Here's the part that makes Killian truly deranged: his second ability draws you a card whenever creatures **enchanted by an Aura you control** attack. Those creatures don't have to be yours.

Put an Impetus on an opponent's big creature. It attacks someone else. You draw a card. That's _their_ creature doing _your_ card draw. Every single turn.

To maximize this, you want cheap Auras that you can spread across the table:

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-PLST-10E-45,MTG-PLST-PLC-92,MTG-GN3-21,MTG-CM2-82" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-10E-45" title="Spirit Link" listItem="T" /> — One mana to gain life every time the creature deals damage. And yes, you gain the life even though you don't control the creature.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-PLC-92" title="Vampiric Link" listItem="T" /> — Same idea as Spirit Link but in black. Stack both on a creature for maximum life gain.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-GN3-21" title="Vow of Duty" listItem="T" /> — Gives vigilance and +2/+2, and the creature can't attack you. Political perfection — your opponent gets a bigger creature that can only swing at other people.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CM2-82" title="Vow of Malice" listItem="T" /> — Same deal but with intimidate instead of vigilance. Another can't-attack-you clause.

## Removal That Triggers Killian

Why run boring removal spells when your removal can be Auras that trigger Killian's ETB goad _and_ his card draw?

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-C21-87,MTG-PLST-ONE-26,MTG-SOC-171" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-C21-87" title="Darksteel Mutation" listItem="T" /> — Turns any creature into a 0/1 indestructible Insect with no abilities. The creature can't even be sacrificed usefully. Absolute menace of a card.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-ONE-26" title="Ossification" listItem="T" /> — Two-mana exile removal disguised as an Aura. Clean and efficient.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-171" title="Sheltered by Ghosts" listItem="T" /> — Another removal Aura from the Strixhaven Commander set. Exiles a creature when it enters and gives ward 2 to the enchanted creature.

## Card Draw Engines: Beyond Killian

Killian draws cards, but you want backup engines for when he's not on the field (or for those turns when you need even more gas).

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-AFC-72,MTG-BBD-93,MTG-DSC-68,MTG-THB-101" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-AFC-72" title="Sram, Senior Edificer" listItem="T" /> — Draw a card whenever you cast an Aura. Simple, devastating, and only two mana.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-BBD-93" title="Kor Spiritdancer" listItem="T" /> — Draw when you cast an Aura AND she gets +2/+2 for each Aura attached to her. Can be a backup voltron threat.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-DSC-68" title="Mesa Enchantress" listItem="T" /> — Draw whenever you cast an enchantment. The classic.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-THB-101" title="Hateful Eidolon" listItem="T" /> — When an enchanted creature dies, draw cards equal to the number of Auras you controlled that were attached to it. In a deck that's constantly putting Auras on creatures that are then forced to attack, this card is gas.

## Voltron Payoffs

Sometimes you don't want to enchant your opponents' creatures. Sometimes you want to suit up your own team and swing for lethal. These cards reward you for going tall:

<BlogCards cardIds="MTG-CMM-622,MTG-PLST-Q06-2,MTG-WOC-66" />

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-CMM-622" title="All That Glitters" listItem="T" /> — Gets +1/+1 for each artifact and enchantment you control. In a deck loaded with Auras, this can easily be a +6/+6 or more.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-PLST-Q06-2" title="Ethereal Armor" listItem="T" /> — First strike and +1/+1 for each enchantment you control. One mana. Absurd.

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-WOC-66" title="Eidolon of Countless Battles" listItem="T" /> — Gets +1/+1 for each Aura and creature you control. Can be cast as a creature or bestowed as an Aura for even more flexibility.

## The Backup Commander: Scriv, the Obligator

The Silverquill Influence precon comes with a second commander option that's equally wild.

<BlogCard cardId="MTG-SOC-9" />

 

<BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-SOC-9" title="Scriv, the Obligator" /> creates Contract tokens — Aura tokens that attach to opponents' creatures and punish them for attacking you while rewarding them for attacking your other opponents. It's the political goad-adjacent strategy taken to its extreme. If Killian is the enforcer, Scriv is the mob boss writing up the contracts.

## So Is Eye of Nidhogg Worth $8?

Let's be real — probably not long-term. This is a textbook precon-hype spike. Over 300 copies sold in a week, but once Secrets of Strixhaven actually drops and players crack their precons, the initial FOMO will cool off. The card was only printed in the Final Fantasy Commander precon and Collector Boosters, so supply is genuinely limited, but $8 for a card that's only legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage feels aggressive.

**Our call:** If you already own a copy, hold it and throw it in your Killian deck. If you're looking to buy, wait until the Strixhaven launch weekend when attention shifts to the new cards. You'll likely be able to grab copies in the $2–4 range once the dust settles.

But regardless of where the price lands, the card is legitimately excellent in Killian. A self-recurring, three-mana goad engine that turns any creature into a 4/2 flying deathtouch Dragon and draws you cards every turn? That's not hype — that's just a great card finding its perfect home.

## Get Building

Secrets of Strixhaven drops on April 24. If you're picking up the Silverquill Influence precon, Eye of Nidhogg should be one of your first upgrades. Pair it with <BlogCardLink cardId="MTG-EMN-41" title="Sigarda's Aid" /> to flash it in at instant speed, stack it with the Impetus cycle, and watch your opponents' creatures do your dirty work while you draw cards and drain life.

Tell us in the comments — are you building Killian or Scriv? And what's the spiciest Aura you're running?

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Witherbloom, the Balancer Is Wild

From Bulk Bin to $8: How Eye of Nidhogg Became Commander Gold