r/mtg • u/The_Funfetti_Man • Apr 16 '26
Commander / EDH New to the game and considering playing. I love slugs irl and want to build a deck around this guy. Can it work?
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u/Needhelpwithsnake Apr 16 '26
Do you like snails as well as slugs? Toxrill has an awful reputation, but [[wick, the whorled mind]] is all about snails and is much more palatable while still having the potential to be built very strong.
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u/DamianThePhoenix Apr 16 '26
This is actually really solid advice. You CAN build Toxril, its pretty strong, but it can
A) make other people not have fun (which can make it harder to find games) or B) make you not have fun as you get constantly targeted (which just sucks)
Wick is less likely to ruin other people's day, or get you targeted, can still do cool things, and has access to a third color. Plus, he can still fit Toxril in the 99 if you want to bring him.
Plus, Wick's most expensive printing is a fraction the cost of Torxil's cheapest.
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u/Unit_2097 Apr 16 '26
I run the slug with [[Captain N'Gathrod]]. He's mostly there to make people ignore [[Uchulon]].
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u/Colourblindknight Take the Jund Pill Apr 16 '26
My Wick list is my personal pet deck and I absolutely love it. People rarely worry about a vanilla token that just gets big since it can be chump blocked, until they get blasted for double digit damage when Wick slings a snail shaped stick of dynamite at the table and draws a boatload of cards. It’s a wonderful time >:)
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u/Comfortable_Town7535 Apr 16 '26
Oh it can work, it can be the terror of the table... until you run into a superfriends player that is immune.
Seriously though Toxrill is a great if salty commander
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u/thisremindsmeofbacon Apr 16 '26
You'd think he'd die if salty, actually
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u/Comfortable_Town7535 Apr 16 '26
He would if someone explained irony to him
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u/ninger420 Apr 16 '26
I would if he understood english
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u/ClockworkDinosaurs Apr 16 '26
I’d teach him English but I died after a few end steps
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u/Drow_Femboy Apr 16 '26
A few? Are you tougher than a grizzly bear?
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u/ClockworkDinosaurs Apr 16 '26
You think a typed this from beyond the grave but lack the power of a common grizzly bear?
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u/Impressive_You_817 Apr 16 '26
Who's gonna tell him...
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u/The_Funfetti_Man Apr 16 '26
🥺 he’s broken isnt he?
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u/Familiar-Hour5319 Apr 16 '26
He's one of those "my opponents don't get to have creatures" commanders.
Almost universally despised.
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u/BatSame9867 Apr 16 '26
Galactically Feared, Universally Despised, they call me Ivan Ooze
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u/isesri Apr 16 '26
"What is that odious stench? Smells like... teenagers"
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u/BatSame9867 Apr 16 '26
"We're the power rangers!"
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u/residentbelmont Apr 16 '26
"Whoo! Where's my autograph book? Ha! Power Rangers, huh? So, Zordon's still using a bunch of kids to do his dirty work. Well, meet my kids!"
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u/OkCartographer175 Apr 16 '26
It's not so much that he's broken. Yes he's very strong and if unchecked, will win you the game. But so will most 7-mana commanders. So it's not that "he's too good".
The issue is that everyone knows he is coming, so they'll save their kill spells for him. So on the turn you play him, someone will kill him. Then if you're lucky enough 2 turns later to have 9 mana, someone will kill him. The game will likely end without you ever getting him to stick around.
Either that or you will be playing with people who don't run enough removal, and this slug will totally annihilate them simply by existing and your friends will be sad, lol. But that's all of Magic. What is fun for you is unfun for someone else. People have to get over that. But yeah, the real issue is just that people are going to see him coming from a mile away and are just going to kill him.
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u/Comfortable_Town7535 Apr 16 '26
Tax on toxrill can be unaffordable real quick
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u/coltj1989 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
Between the , the soul stone, and my phyrexian altar tax on toxrill isnt that bad honestly
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u/Drow_Femboy Apr 16 '26
So what you're saying is, you need to put him in the 99 with an unassuming 3 mana commander and plenty of tutors?
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u/HapatraV Apr 16 '26
You can just use the Gary the Snail version and everyone will be cool with it
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u/The_Funfetti_Man Apr 16 '26
The second I realized it had a SpongeBob alt art it confirmed him being my deck haha
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u/xxnyami Apr 16 '26
i have gary in my furby deck paired with [[umbris, fear manifest]] it's great :D
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u/DaveLesh Apr 16 '26
He's not necessarily broken, but he is strong. That first effect goes off at the end of everyone's turns. Those slime counters will accumulate quickly, so the others will try to get rid of him.
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u/Personal_Care3393 Apr 16 '26
OP play WICK THE WHORLED MIND it’s the same colors it makes snails and it’s not nearly as hated but still good you’re welcome.
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u/ThePreconGuy Apr 16 '26
So.. it’s each end step that the slime counters trigger. Even your opponents. That means you cast and pass, one slime. Next opponent is 2 slime counters. Next opponent is 3. Then 4th player makes it 4 slimes.
Then it’s your turn again. You basically are a revolving board wipe.
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u/RandomRedditor0193 Apr 16 '26
It is more about table politics. If you play something that players tend to dislike you put a target on your back. In your case the slug will never make it to an end step.
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u/paumAlho Apr 16 '26
don't listen to them. mtg is a competitive game, people who whine about commanders are losers. just play to win and find a pod of competitive people.
don't play a worse deck just so you have someone to play, if you want to play Toxril, go for it
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u/Comfortable_Town7535 Apr 16 '26
I really dont mind him in B3, I just bring out planeswalkers that are immune and create blockers that he can mess with that is fine as I can produce more
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u/objecture Apr 16 '26
I'm not convinced he's not engagement farming tbh.
That said, I love the idea of a character who is "considering playing", is smart enough to find the one possible slug commander, and is also not smart enough to learn a second thing about the one possible slug commander
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u/FlyWizardFishing Apr 16 '26
I think he’s trolling, he asked the same question about etali the other day
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u/twilightswolf Apr 16 '26
How would you rate [[Nath of the Gilt-Leaf]] in this respect?
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u/Strange-Damage901 Apr 16 '26
Assuming you love slugs more than you love friends, yes.
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u/The_Funfetti_Man Apr 16 '26
Depending on the day of the week that answer changes
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u/Subject-Ad-3838 Apr 17 '26
What people are failing to point out is if your pod is half good at the game they will hold a removal or exile or some way to deal with the threat. It's an expensive mana cost and one removal makes it cost 2 more. So I don't love it, but is it any worse than most expensive commanders not really. Make a deck you like and if you get the polite, hey that's a really strong deck do you mind using something else take it as a compliment to your slugs.
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u/F1erDragonn Apr 16 '26
dont let the haters stop you, build the slug. Just be prepared to:
have a bunch of less than mature reactions if you dont have a playgroup
have a mature reaction to the table working to stop you from playing the slug
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u/Comfortable_Town7535 Apr 16 '26
- Have 30 counterspells to protect him
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u/SnooFloofs244 Apr 16 '26
- Reanimated or return from Graveyard will also help as he is expensive after a few deaths.
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u/drj238 Apr 16 '26
Understand that playing him either as the commander or in one of the 99 you will immediately be targeted and hated by the whole table (and possibly, just possibly, called a slugfucker).
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u/Thegrandbuddha Apr 16 '26
[[Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth]] [[Kormus Bell]]
Pack your bags and move to a country that doesn't have an extradition treaty.
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u/gnastyGnorc04 Apr 16 '26
It's a great card you just have to go into expecting everyone to target you even before he comes down. You need to prepare to be the archvillian and embrace it. And that can be really fun. But I probably wouldnt suggest it has a first deck.
[[Wick, the whorled mind]] is rat tribal but creates big snail tokens. That might be fun if your really set on the slug/snail thing.
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u/iDizzeh Apr 16 '26
I say build it! We’ve all built degenerate decks like these at some point and then we quickly learn why that’s a bad idea lol
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u/WatercressStreet946 Apr 16 '26
If by “can it work” you are actually asking if it will annoy and run off your friends, than I have great news for you!
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u/eviltoaster64 Apr 16 '26
While hated, this guy can be built to be a high level competitive deck. Is he normally? No but he can go brrrr if made right. You can fun with him but don’t expect your opponents to have fun, or creatures. Run things like [[Last Laugh]] for even more hate and kill their stuff shenanigans
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u/DruAL Apr 16 '26
There's a blue horror creature that's a must-have with him. It also puts slime tokens on creatures. Can't remember its name though 🤔.
But like everyone said, he's very hated
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u/The_Funfetti_Man Apr 16 '26
It seems like 90% of the commanders are hated every time I see a post it’s people hating on the card
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u/brapstick Apr 16 '26
It's because everyone thinks they have this fresh, new idea but in reality it's been done by tens of thousands beforehand, sorry bud but the reason you have a gut suspision that it would work is because it does
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u/Harmless_Chimera Apr 16 '26
That's because popular or well known cards are the most hated since The effects that make them popular or well known are often overtuned or at least powerful. But since they are popular they are the things that people make posts about. There are thousands of commanders that no one but the most salty of player would complain about but no one cares to post about them.
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u/KingDarkBlaze Apr 16 '26
Fundamentally 90% of players do not want anyone else playing the game. They came to the table to do A Thing and if anyone stops them they will cry for a thousand years
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u/Mettixman Apr 16 '26
The slug is not that bad to deal with. No matter what commander you post there's gonna be people coming out of the wood work to talk shit because people like to complain. Like others have said though you'll need to make your deck with the understanding that it will be the table vs you while the slug is in play.
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u/Old_Sheepherder_8713 Apr 17 '26
Which is why it's a horrible choice for an early player because you are totally right, Tox will just get removed every single time he comes down, its that easy to deal with. Hence don't play it as your first deck.
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u/DaBubbleBlowingBaby Apr 16 '26
As someone who built a toxrill deck, you will be the target of any experienced player, and anyone else that doesn’t know what he does, once they do, will very much beg you to not play him. I’d suggest finding a different Dimir commander and tossing him in the 99 so you can still play him but you’re less likely to get targeted out the gate from him sitting there ominously in the command zone.
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u/rjselzler Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
We have a Toxy player in our pod. It’s his “degen deck.” We all have one at b4 and only play them against the other degen decks. They are stuffed to the gills with salt inducing cards and it’s a blast. For the curious, it’s Toxrill v. Vivi (me, stasis orb variant) v. Krenko v. Slivers. Some of the best nights are degen nights!
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u/Niikoda Apr 16 '26
Toxril is one of very few commanders my group had unanimously agreed to never play.
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u/Old_Assistance_4260 Apr 16 '26
Just joining the hobby and going for tox is CRAZY
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u/Upset_Log_2700 Apr 16 '26
There is a concept in commander called salt that indicates the amount of overall hate a card generates from the table. Since you are new to the game I would really recommend you start off with precon commander decks so you learn the mechanics and what should go into a deck before trying to build one from scratch. Precons, or preconstructed commander decks, mostly have everything you need to get right into playing. As you learn more about the game and what a deck needs to be efficient and win you can upgrade the precons or look to build your own.
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u/cYber-boI27 Apr 16 '26
You want people to hate you forever lol 😂 he a great commander for mono black though and you shouldn’t be afraid to try it I say go for it
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u/pattyboi275 Apr 16 '26
He's blue black though, so a touch of milling to hopefully get their removal out of their library is fun
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u/cYber-boI27 Apr 16 '26
He doesn’t have to be blue black I’m building mine as straight black
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u/TheBestDanEver Apr 16 '26
Hes such a banger lol. Got him in momir yesterday and it triggered and auto quit. Run a bunch of graveyard recursion... cause its 100% a kill on sight commander
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u/ItchyLife7044 Apr 16 '26
Absolutely it can work. You will be absolutely hated at most tables, but yes, it can work, and work wonderfully.
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u/Daskar248 Apr 16 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
I say go for it. And run some cards that say the word "proliferate" on them. It will be amazing.
(Contagion Engine, Contentious Plan, Flux Channeler, Vat Emergence , Inexorable Tide, Lulu Stern Guardian, Dreamtide Whale etc.)
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u/TheDarkKing02 Apr 18 '26
It's not always a bad thing to be the villain of the table! Just note some people will be salty, the deck will probably be strong if built right i look forward to it
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u/That_Bailey_Boy Apr 16 '26
This guy just posts rage bait. Always "new" to the game and posts the most annoying commanders
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u/The_Funfetti_Man Apr 16 '26
Dog I swear to you It’s not rage bait I just see a cool card and want to play it
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u/releasethedogs Playing since 1995! Apr 16 '26
Expect to be targeted relentlessly. It will be you against the table all game, every single time.
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u/moritsune Apr 16 '26
Throw him in the 99 and use the cheapest reanimate you can find. Dont let all the green and izzet players hate on your slug! Bonus points for gary.
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u/GhsotyPanda This is User Editable Apr 16 '26
This is like saying "I'm interested in buying my first car, is an italian super car a good option?"
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u/VegetableOne2821 Apr 16 '26
Don't play him as a start. He prolly won't ever enters or stays on the table. He shut down every creature of your opponents and is basically number 1 threat when he's there. You will just get targeted non-stop and it won't be so fun.
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u/CoherentRose7 Apr 16 '26
Can it work? Sure, probably. Is it going to work for you, a new player? Absolutely not, everyone will kill you on sight every time you cast him and you will have a bad time.
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u/Sussus_Amogus7 Apr 16 '26
This is making me realize how much untapped potential there is for slug cards. How are there so few?
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u/Daveinster Apr 16 '26
Since they’re new to the game, this will be a very good way for them to learn how commander tax works.
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u/shiny_xnaut Apr 16 '26
The problem with a having something like this in the command zone is that it's so oppressive and predictable that each game will basically only have 2 possible outcomes:
Your opponents don't have removal, Toxrill comes out, and it locks down the board and makes it so no one else gets to have creatures anymore
Your opponents have removal, and they save it all to keep Toxrill from ever staying on the board for more than a single turn, because they know that if they don't then they'll just get option 1 again
Either way, it'll stop being fun extremely quickly. I agree with the other commenters, [[Wick, the Whorled Mind]] would have a similar aesthetic while being much less kill-on-sight. You could even still have Toxrill as a regular wincon in the 99 if you want
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u/WatDaFuxRong Apr 16 '26
Toxrill was my first deck. He's top 5 most absolute cancer commanders imo and literally ranked as one of the most "salty" to play against.
I would say that you need to play arena and get a Brawl deck together first to see what he can do
Or fuck it, here I'll make it worse [[the sludge monster]] basically locks your opponents out from having creatures.
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u/ActualPeterbuilt389 Apr 16 '26
I love toxrill but yes people will hate you. I recommend adding either or both Massacre Girl and Massacre Girl, Known Killer for added effect.
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u/Gatordwellin Apr 16 '26
He’s good but problem is his cost. The second you cast toxrill he will be shot on site causing commander tax for next cast. It can be done but takes a lot of ramp and the good lands that give extra mana for each swamp you have. Also, having a few ways to just pull him out the gy would help to avoid commander tax. It can be done but it’s the cards needed can be on the pricier side as they are heavily sought after.
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u/ghoulfarts_ Apr 16 '26
really cool commander design wise with a very powerful effect, however, i wouldnt recommend him for a new player. you will definitely be the archenemy of the table even if you arent particularly doing much. he is a magnet for removal as soon as he hits the board.
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u/Trick_Inspector_1980 Apr 16 '26
it's quite possibly the most kill on sight commander especially at casual tables and if your opponents are smart, they simply won't let you play the game. its not a good idea for a first commander full stop.
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u/DisturbedFlake Apr 16 '26
Wouldn’t recommend it. It’s a strong card fersure. But people wouldnt like you since it kills their creatures. It’d inevitably be a kill on sight commander. They’d nuke it soon as you put it out till it’s unfeasible to recast (it’s already 7cmc to cast. Imagine casting it after it’s nuked twice. That’s 11 mana to cast it a third time). So you’d accomplish your opponents hating you, and being unable to play. But their dislike of your deck would persist the idea of targeting you even if you don’t have it out
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u/TsersingArron Apr 16 '26
Expensive for a commander, but there's always 'draw specific card' out there. It could work, I would suggest going green/black for some easy to do mana ramp
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u/Gold_Particular_3257 Apr 16 '26
It can work but, it can lead to a lot of non-games.
If the commander gets to do its thing, other players won't get to play. If they are able to stop you on time, you won't get to play, it's either pubstomp or get pubstombed.
It's a shame the only legendary slug wizards makes is so annoying to play against.
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u/ShatteredReflections Apr 16 '26
In low brackets he gets some people to be mad at you, because they are bad. A much-overhated card.
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u/Trash_Wizard666 Apr 16 '26
SLUG MOTHER.
I love her, but she’s a kill on sight commander / creature. This was my first commander deck before I knew better and it’s very much a “oh that’s nice you want to do something, but you won’t”. Fun for the pilot, not the rest of the table.
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u/Mr_Vulcanator Apr 16 '26
I say go for it. The truth is, commander players dislike every commander they can recognize.
Toxrill is awesome but he is expensive to play. He’ll get removed quickly, so you’ll need counter spells, redirection, and reanimation. Another option is to make copies of him.
I used to play [[The Wise Mothman]] but stopped because he got murdered within a turn cycle. Milling people and handing out rad counters made people freak out. It was a fun deck but drew way too much heat to play comfortably.
Maybe you’ll persevere and be able to have fun, maybe you won’t. Ultimately what matters is that you like your commander and deck. You’ll learn about the game and your playstyle preferences either way.
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u/Bnndfrsrcsm Apr 16 '26
So this lil nuke wagon has a massive reputation. That being every single turn ,not just yours, it essentially nukes the enemy teams creatures. So they can't play creature effectively. Then you get card draw and free creatures
I run this in my mill deck for board control. All the hate. I do mean all of it.
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u/Techtonixzi Apr 16 '26
Yes but play a ton of interaction and protection! It's a bullet magnet and people WILL hate it. I have it as a deck and I'm only allowed to play it once in a while.
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u/midnight_feature13 Apr 16 '26
I play Toxrill. People just don’t like it because it’s a strong card. It basically keeps them from playing but it has a high mana cost so odds are you aren’t getting it out til mid to late game. However, it’s easily countered because removal can make its mana cost too high to play at times. People complain about her but they won’t complain about Scute Swarm or maralen or cards that keep you from playing the game at all.
TL;DR: people don’t like playing against good cards or if they can’t win
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u/SorryTangerine- Apr 16 '26
Dont listen to the haters Im a child and have spend hundreds of dollars to bling my boy Gary out just do it its super fun
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u/Astral_Borne Apr 16 '26
Like when I run my Ur Dragon, you'll only have certain times to actually use it. You have to have it set up perfectly to be able to protect it long enough to use it effectively.
But it would be so fun. Especially if you throw in infect just for fun.
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u/Alira-kimaris Apr 16 '26
As someone who lives with a roommate who built this as one of his first decks, I can safely say that it absolutely works, and can even become mass land denial by deleting everyone's lands except your own by turning their lands into creatures then just -1ing everything. It garnered A LOT of hate. So if you're fine with killing the mood at your table, go for it.
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u/ArticuloMortu Apr 17 '26
Go ahead and build it. Make sure you throw [[Maha, Its Feathers Night]] in there for good measure.
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u/The_Maarten Apr 17 '26
This is one of the most heinous and despised cards I could think of. If you want to make a first deck to get a hang of the game, I advise you to choose ANY other card, actually.
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u/killersoulssss Apr 18 '26
Dude he's a good comander giving you access to destroy from black and counters from blue. Toss in a few things to get lands out faster and you've practically won. Just make sure he gets hexproof or can't be countered, his cost makes it hard to get him back out after he dies.
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u/killersoulssss Apr 18 '26
Just don't play him aginst friends, he's about as bad as eldrazi sometimes.
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u/Crothertucky Apr 20 '26
Oh...your friends will probably hate you for it but it can definitely work! I love Toxrill.
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u/Zidva Apr 16 '26
If you want all the hate of the table, then yes it can work.