Atraxa is one of Magic: The Gathering’s most versatile and powerful legendary creatures. Let’s break down each version of Atraxa in detail, exploring their strengths, synergies, and unique uses across formats and strategies, followed by a comprehensive conclusion.

Image RightAtraxa, Praetors' Voice
Mana Cost: 1GWUB
Type: Legendary Creature - Angel Horror
Text: Flying, Vigilance, Deathtouch, Lifelink
At the beginning of your end step, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there.)

Card Discussion
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice is a Commander format icon. Her ability to proliferate synergizes with strategies involving counters of all types, making her an enabler for countless builds. The combination of flying, vigilance, deathtouch, and lifelink solidifies her utility in combat. She can attack with impunity, defend against large creatures, and sustain life totals in the process. Proliferate expands her flexibility, allowing interactions with loyalty counters, +1/+1 counters, energy, poison, and even unusual counter types like quest counters or saga counters. This unparalleled versatility makes her a favorite for players seeking creative and strategic gameplay.

Combos


  • Doubling Season + Planeswalkers: With Doubling Season, planeswalkers enter with twice their loyalty counters, and Atraxa’s proliferate ensures you can activate ultimate abilities within a turn or two. Pair with Oath of Teferi for additional activations.
  • The Ozolith: When creatures with counters die, their counters transfer to The Ozolith, ready to be redistributed to new creatures. Proliferating these counters each turn makes rebuilding effortless.
  • Energy Counters: Cards like Aetherworks Marvel benefit significantly from Atraxa’s proliferate, ensuring an endless supply of energy to cast devastating spells.
  • Infect and Poison: Use creatures like Phyrexian Hydra and Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon to place poison counters, then proliferate them to victory in multiplayer games.
  • Contagion Engine: Proliferate twice each turn and reduce opponents' boards while growing your own resources.


Tips for Deckbuilding

  • Optimize the Mana Base: With a four-color identity, it’s crucial to use shock lands (Breeding Pool, Godless Shrine) and fetch lands (Misty Rainforest, Windswept Heath). Include mana rocks like Chromatic Lantern and Fellwar Stone to smooth out mana issues.
  • Include Proliferation Synergy: Cards like Flux Channeler and Inexorable Tide amplify Atraxa’s proliferate ability, enabling explosive growth for all counters.
  • Planeswalkers Matter: Superfriends builds with 10+ planeswalkers excel under Atraxa’s leadership. Combine with Deepglow Skate for loyalty counter boosts.
  • Focus on Alternate Win Conditions: Use cards like Simic Ascendancy or Darksteel Reactor as secondary win conditions that synergize with proliferate mechanics.
  • Token Generators: Cards like Anointed Procession and Cathars’ Crusade create overwhelming board states when combined with proliferated +1/+1 counters.


Atraxa in Commander
Atraxa is a Commander staple because of her versatility and capacity to enhance unique archetypes:

  • Superfriends: Planeswalker-heavy decks with Atraxa benefit from proliferating loyalty counters. Key cards include Tamiyo, Field Researcher, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, and Teferi, Temporal Archmage. Add Oath of Liliana and Deploy the Gatewatch for thematic synergy.
  • +1/+1 Counter Decks: Proliferate pairs well with Winding Constrictor, Corpsejack Menace, and Hardened Scales, enabling exponential growth for creature tokens.
  • Control Archetypes: With vigilance and lifelink, Atraxa stabilizes life totals while proliferating control cards like Sphere of Safety or Glacial Chasm.
  • Poison Counter Builds: Infect creatures and spells like Proliferate Engine allow Atraxa to win via poison in multiplayer games, often blindsiding unprepared opponents.
  • Multifaceted Stax: Pair her with Winter Orb, Smokestack, or Static Orb to keep opponents locked down while you incrementally build counters toward victory.