#Phyrexian Scriptures

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Phyrexian Scriptures

Artist: Joseph Meehan TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[ask-the-praetors]

in my alt-lore dnd multiverse, you all wish to resurrect Yawgmoth in a new, improved form that encompasses all of phyrexia’s ideals. so, following up on that, what do you each think an ideal god of phyrexia would be?

(directed at the praetors)

You are looking upon her. -E

No worthy god would twist the Scriptures like that prattling pretender does. Yawgmoth is the best example we have, and when I tire of Norn's fumbling and set Phyrexia straight, I will inherit his grand legacy. -S

Gods and myths are vapid fantasies whose removal would greatly streamline Phyrexian operation--though they benefit in making zealots useful, for now. -J

NO GODS. NO PRETENSE. ONLY HUNGER. -V

[jaebird88]

So the Elas il-Kor deck did work. All because of Sheoldred and Phyrexian Awakening. I didn’t really expect to get the True Scriptures to chapter three, but it happened, and it was gross 😆

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Phyrexian Scriptures (Full Art) by Joseph Meehan

[5ecardaday]

Phyrexian Scriptures (9th Level, Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, M (a vial of black oil)

Duration: Special

Classes: Warlock, Wizard

When you cast this spell, you splash the oil into the air around you, where it evaporates and turns into a cloud of black smoke. Choose up to two creatures that you can see within range. The smoke moves and curls to wrap around those creatures, layering along their skin and transforming it into a shiny, black carapace. For 1 hour, each of those creatures is immune to necrotic damage and automatically succeeds on saving throws made to avoid becoming exhausted. Then at the start of your next turn, the cloud of smoke expands to fill a 60-foot radius around you where the smoke lingers until the spell ends. Each creature that begins its turn in the radius must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 14d6 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a success. Then at the start of your third turn after casting this spell, each creature in the cloud of smoke must succeed on another Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of exhaustion. Afterwards the smoke dissipates and the spell ends.

If you’d like to support what I do, find free pdf’s for my content, get insight into my design process, and get access to other exclusive homebrew content, feel free to check out my Patreon, whose link can be found on my page.

[sylvhem]

From the Vault: Phyrexia

When Wizards of the Coast choose to discontinue the From the Vault series, almost two years ago, many said it was inevitable because the company had finally run out of good themes for those products. I disagree and think that, on the contrary, there is still lot of cool themes that could be used to make new From the Vault. So I decided that, since I was constantly thinking about new ideas for them, I will periodically make posts presenting “custom” From the Vault, that is, lists of fifteen cards tied by a theme that I think would make a good From the Vault product.

And the first entry in this series will be From the Vault: Phyrexia. What a better way to start that with the classic antagonist of the series? Moreover, Phyrexia being around Magic: The Gathering lore since Antiquities, there is a lot of cards and sets to choose from. It’s more a problem of “too many cards” than “too few of them”. Also, this is the perfect occasion to reprint some of those cards with the Phyrexian watermark.

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician

I can’t possibly make a retrospective of Phyrexia without including the man who created it, Yawgmoth. A Thran physician exiled for his interest in eugenics as well as his support to a failed revolution, Yawgmoth traveled across Dominaria, experimenting on various species, often under the pretense of bringing medical help. He later took his revenge on the people who cast him away when, recalled to the Thran Empire to help cure a mysterious disease, he seized the opportunity to transform the sicks into mutants and use them as an army to overthrow the government. With the candid help of the planeswalker Dyfed, he traveled to an artificial plane long abandoned by its creator and immediately started to modify it to suit his needs, creating Phyrexia. Bounding himself to the plane’s core, he then became immortal and inherited god-like powers. Unfortunately for him, Rebbec, the chief architect of the Thran capital of Halcyon, trapped it there, making him and his follower unable to return to Dominaria. He then spent the next millennia perfecting his creations, conquering other planes and plotting to, one day, finally take over his birth plane.

On this card, Yawgmoth is depicted as his young self, before he ascended to godhood and maybe even before his exile. Nonetheless, we can see him wearing a phi-shaped tool to his belt, hinting to the fact he may already have some plans regarding his future creations. Even if it’s technically a card that predates Phyrexia, the facts that he is its creator and that he already started his “Great Work” made it an auto-include here.

Phyrexian Altar

This card, originally printed in Invasion, is a classic of the game. Not as well-know as some other cult cards, it’s still quite popular and is relatively used in Commander. Moreover, its original art have never been used on a modern frame and it would be the perfect occasion for this.

Priest of Yawgmoth

Not as well know, Priest of Yawgmoth is a card that come straight from Antiquities. Not as powerful nor popular as Phyrexian Altar, it’s an interesting card in that it’s a good representation of what the original mechanical take on the Phyrexians was. Also, it could really use a reprint, to have an occasion to see this art in a modern frame, but, more importantly, to have a version of this card with its much simpler Oracle text.

Phyrexian Arena

This card is too much of classic to not be a part of this set. Originally printed in Apocalypse, it has been reprinted numerous times, including in core sets, but still commands a higher price tag due to its popularity in formats like Commander. This would be the perfect occasion to have a version with the Phyrexian watermark.

Phyrexian Tower

Originally printed in Urza’s Saga, this card was then part of the same cycle of legendary lands that gave us Gaea’s Cradle, Serra’s Sanctum and Tolarian Academy. But unlike those three cards, Phyrexian Tower and Shivan Gorge were not put on the Reserved List.

Despite that and the popularity of this land in Commander, it has never been reprinted before Ultimate Master (if we omit its gold-bordered version). We could reprint it with its gorgeous new art, but I think it would be a good opportunity to use its classic illustration, never used in conjunction with the modern frame before.

Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

You can’t make From the Vault: Phyrexia without including at least one of New Phyrexia’s praetors. And none of them is as iconic as Elesh Norn, leader of the Machine Orthodoxy. Moreover, this card have been printed five times but always with the same illustration. A premium print like this one would be a good occasion to give it a new artwork.

Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice

This card may be the most popular commander of all time. Besides, apart from its original printing in Commander 2016, it only has been reprinted once, in Commander Anthology Volume II. None of those printings have a Phyrexian watermark.

Phyrexian Unlife

This card is such a good depiction of what Phyrexia is that it would be sad to not include it in this set.

Phyrexian Obliterator

A really cool and flavorful creature card. It’s probably the most iconic card from New Phyrexia.

Birthing Pod

A staple of the Modern format before its ban, it gave birth to an entire archetype.

Gitaxian Probe

Banned in Legacy, Pauper and Modern, restricted in Vintage, this card used to be a staple in those formats when it was still legal to play it.

Surgical Extraction

This card is one of the most popular card in Legacy and commands a huge price tag because of it.

Dismember

A Modern staple and a useful card all around.

Gut Shot

This list lacked a mono red card and Gut Shot is a popular card in Pauper, played in numerous archetypes.

Phyrexian Scriptures

The Scriptures, Phyrexia’s sacred texts, have been referenced in numerous flavor texts through the years. That’s why it was cool to finally have a card to represent them in Dominaria!

And that’s it! What do you think of that list? Would you have done things differently? Does it convinced you other cool From the Vault could be made?

[unicorntribal]

Well now that this one has been officially revealed.

I like the design and vertical format of it. Granted this one might utilize this shape better than most due to the vertical text in the art and the bold vertical line in the phi watermark, but i feel like they’ll probably make the others fit it somehow as well. The artwork isn’t diminished and tiny like it was with the aftermath cards and this format is just much less cumbersome imo.

Also the gold chapters bit on the left is cool.

.

As for this card, i like it... Sharuum likes it... might try to find a place for it in her deck. Not quite as good as scourglass (both because it only deals with creatures but especially because it can’t be brought back for repeated uses) but the removal of everyone else’s graveyards is an amazing bonus.

Ok no, i probably actually won’t end up putting this in Sharuum... but thinking about it right now, after just having seen it for the first time, it seems like a cool idea.

[highqueenseleni]

This cardframe makes my head hurt, not sure if I like it or no, it is just different that my brain is refusing to process it. 

Introducing the new Saga enchantments from Dominaria! Freaky! (Source)

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Yo! I was thinking about the last Praetor cycle recently and something interesting clicked for me: i think they are foreshadowing an eventual return. The sagas on their flipside shows what each praetor is leaving behind either physically or idealogically and its lasting effects. The final chapter, of course, is the return of each praetor to begin the cycle again. If I had to guess, I'd say that the invasion of the multiverse created a whole slew of Rona-esque un-compleated devotees who will be working in the shadows to bring about either the literal return of the praetors, and/or a revival of their ideology, perhaps even using magic to reactivate the oil. The only question is how long it will take to return to this plot thread lol. But this would make the Argent Etchings and True Scriptures make more sense when looked at alongside the other praetors sagas. Sorry if this is obvious or old news, just wanted to run it by the resident tumblr praetor since it blew my mind lol

Oooooh. Fascinating! I'd never actually thought about it quite this way, and that's exciting. That's definitely a new hope for me, as none of the praetors were done justice in MOM and their stories ending there feels utterly insulting to put it nicely. I would especially hope your interpretation extends to Urabrask and the Great Work, since the Phyrexian rebels are still very much alive and active. Not known to other worlds, so Urabrask wouldn't have extraplanar devotees, but very existent.

For the record, Vorinclex at least has a "mysterious fate" instead of being pronounced dead. (Tbh, I don't think any of the praetors' "deaths" in MOM are things that could actually kill them, save for maybe Norn.) This was revealed in uhh... frankly a really strange way to distribute set lore.

I am so flattered to be the resident Tumblr praetor! Hope I'm Urabrasking it out here and not... any of the others

[socialpoison]

Now that March of the Machine story has been fully released I can ask, how did your ocs weather the Phyrexia invasion of the multiverse?

Okay so, detail

Rhoda: Was with the Resistance as they were brought before Norn and Realmbreaker at the end, and she made it through the portal to Zhalfir, fighting her way out to the very end. After however, as Melira's keeper (and a bit more than that), losing Melira was a heartbreak. It's painful, and she's working through it (and every other loss she's experienced over the last few years, now that she has time to really process it)

Klaus: Quickly recovered from phyrexian kidnapping, was sailing with Kenzie aboard the Albatross, the ship he had commissioned to protect his island home from the Sun Empire's move west towards Torrezon. He helped repel Phyrexians at sea, and moved in to help with the battle on the continent.

Traenor: Controlled and corrupted by Vorinclex through his "Vorinclex Arm" (a keepsake from his fight that took the arm that came before) which was hijacked by the praetor himself. It spread across his body, into his armor and skin. While his immunity was too strong to compleat him then and there, he was controlled by the armor like a puppet to invade Eldraine, where he was saved by @niuttuc's Zarunpel and her sisters who cut him out of it with her mother's sword. He's heavily-scarred all over his body, and down to one arm once again.

Ellidus: Utterly spent, trying to manage the phyrexian anti-planeswalker defense, they were cut down from Realmbreaker by @niuttuc's Alamir. Convinced not to throw their life away simply because they were ordered, Ellidus tried to planeswalk away. They are missing.

Constance: With the angels out and about and New Capenna under attack, he had to abandon his disguise and reveal his angelic nature to protect his people. He's glad they won, but now he's a bit of a big shot planeswalker angel hero, when his firm used to be about being to small to attract serious attention. But angels need lawyers, so it seems legal representation for the newly emancipated angels is his new field of legal specialization.

Avon: Kept with the Serran Order of Grace, she was still in too fragile a condition to really contribute since she mind-melded with a sleeper agent, but she managed to avoid her impulses to join the invasion and kill everyone she knew and loved, even helping to save a few people as she did. She's made steady progress since then, and even consented to have the scriptures she carved in her own skin be healed.

And more, but that's all the time we have for now folks!

[fierceawakening]

hey! I got a good chunk of it. didn't see the put at the end but i was worried i wasn't spelling it right, so didn't look

he's wrong that we haven't seen ʔuʃta. It's hidden in the top bit of the art for Phyrexian Scriptures.

i do think he's right that it's likely related to ʔu for past tense, and "it used to happen" or "things once were this way" makes sense to me.

esp if this is coming out with Brothers' War, which is all about history.

esp ESP given the reference to Yawgmoth rather than the generic "Father of Machines" title (yaawgmoth) that the New Phyrexians use now that Yawgmoth is dead.

ETA: I think he is likely also wrong about the word he translates as flesh. I'm pretty sure that's jnakhm, which means perfection (literally "fully made," as in "cannot be further improved/upgraded.")

[ask-the-praetors]

Do you ever wonder about what phyrexians may have been before yawgmoth? I doubt the oil would hold memories of such a thing. I mean, if i was trying to make a mechanical disease....thingy to spread chaos id be pretty concerned with making sure i had total control over their shared memories, and im not even a particularly vicious person. purely theoretically of course.

You poor, naive fool. There was no Phyrexia before Yawgmoth. It was the Father's touch which made us who we are, and the Father's legacy that guides us. -E

Unfortunately, I have to agree with porcelain head here. Yawgmoth's words are the only true scriptures, and she has perverted them! Which is funny, since she always accuses me of doing the same. -S

A time before Yawgmoth, before tyranny... that, outsider, is a hopeful thought. Maybe I will read it in the ichor for myself one day. -U

[harpagornis]

Phyrexia and Black mana

As much as this man was an entitled incel, he still believed in a specific philosophy.

Phyrexia in MTG has been tied overtly to Black mana. In old flavor all phyrexians were black aligned (barring a few errata'd ones) and even by the time of New Phyrexia, when Phyrexia had access to all colours, it is still predominantly in Black (though in Scars of Mirrodin Green was framed as the second most phyrexian color, and an All Will be One and March of the Machine White has essentially become the de facto phyrexian color after Black).

A lot of this essentially boils down to three things: "elemental" aspects of the color pie, old villains being mostly Black, and marketing.

Is Phyrexia a Black system/philosophy?

I'd argue no, not really. "Progressive evolution" as Phyresis means simply means acquiring perfection through mettalurgy (Blue) and eugenics through survival of the fittest (Green). Both new and Old Phyrexia had strict religious hierarchies and scriptures, so White always felt at home. Overally, I'd see Phyrexia as a civilisation as a dark take on Bant, which seems to be the direction New Phyrexia under Elesh Norn is heading.

Now, Yawgmoth WAS Black aligned. The Thran throughly depicts him as an entitled, narcissistic freak, and you can argue that by the later stages of the Weatherlight Saga he abandoned all philosophy for the sake of petty revenge. But given his philosophy at least in The Thran, there's an argument to be made that he is Sultai, since he does believe in phyresis in its eugenicist purpose.

Ultimately, Old Phyrexia was mono-Black simply as an extension of Yawgmoth, and even then I'd argue other colours were present. The pneumagogs, for example, were pretty white aligned.

The elemental reason

MTG may have complex philosophies, but often things are of a certain colour just because that color controls an element. This is why you often hear of "wet blue" among the vorthos, where giant creatures better fitting in Green are mono-Blue due to being aquatic.

Phyrexia is matter of factly an undead faction. Phyresis destroys the body and implicitly the soul (though the Pneumagogs and Jin-Gitaxias experiments show that the soul can be preserved), so a compleated being is always brought back as a husk via necromancy. Black is the colour of necromantic magic, so it makes sense Phyrexia is Black aligned due to that.

However, other colours have steadily have had necromancy. Best seen is in the Lorehold College of Strixhaven, where spirits are ressurected, the mummies of Amonkhet which are mostly white aligned (albeit thanks to some curating and embalming) and the various Blue zombies we've had since Innistrad. Both Green and White have ressurection mechanics, so it's not out of flavor to depict them as engaging in necromancy, albeit perhaps a more "bring back to life" style than Black's puppet style.

Thus, while the elemental aspect probably means phyrexians will always be at home in Black, other colours can do it too.

Fundamentalist Shenigans

During the late 90's/early 2000's, MTG banned demons due to evengalist protests. The satanic scare wasn't satisfied with Pokemon or Harry Potter, so even an innocent card game had to pay. On the plus side, we've gotten quite a biting satire in the form of the Church of Tal.

To replace demons, horrors became Black's iconics, replacing the satanic with the lovecraftian. And Phyrexia was horror-haven, so for a while they were depicted as THE Black aligned faction. This endured even well after demons returned to the game.

Note that White here is represented by an angel while Black is represented by a horror, presumably phyrexian.

Prior to phyrexian being a creature type, horror was the default type for phyrexian creatures, so unsurprisingly this further enhanced their image as horrorland.

Eventually, horrors would spread to other colors, and eventually so did phyrexia.

Tentative Steps

Scars of Mirrodin was when New Phyrexia debuted, the glistening oil charged with the mana of all five suns of Mirrodin. This meant a phyrexia now equally divided into five colours. Even then, there was still the overt connection to Black; all colours were given mechanics and effects more in line with Black than how they usually operate, and the default phyrexian token, the germ, was still Black aligned.

From Kaldheim onwards, Phyrexia has been become more "normal" mechanics wise, the only deviation being White having access to poison counters. The redesigned praetors are now not out of place for normal MTG cards of their colours, and the germ was replaced by the colourless mite as the default phyrexian token.

Conclusion

Had phyrexian been designed today, I guarantee a five colour menace would be there since day one. As it stands, we see a slow but meticulous process of lessening Black's role in the Phyrexian identity, and I hope more non-Black phyrexian cards are to come in March of the Machine.

[haaaaaaaaaaaave-you-met-ted]

Scripture of Truth by Ryan Pancoast

[maine-writes]

I love Mishra's Self Replicator. Building a deck around 4 of them, Worn Powerstone and Powerstone Shard (Yes, I know Sol Ring's better. But the flavor!).

Using Mishra Artificer Prodigy to support it. Also added Thran Temporal Gateway and Ring of Three Wishes to cheat more stuff out. In case I can't get the Replicators, I have Traxos Scourge of Kroog, supported by Voltaic Servant. Assembly-Worker serves as filler and maybe useful if I can get 4 of them and 4 Mishra's Factory.

Then I got Phyrexian Scriptures and The Antiquities War sagas.

Might replace the Gateway with something red, maybe Wild Evocation. More cheating stuff out.

Ready to test it against Pats' Urza deck. (I know, a repeating 5 cost Mind's Desire vs Wild Evocation. This may backfire, badly. But at least I have Self Replicators.)

[vorthosjay]

Do you have a favorite part of the blackboard from the new Mtg arena training montage video? Personally, I'm excited to find out what the Phyrexian says (it doesn't look like a perfect copy of the scriptures, best I can tell).

Someone told me there was an equation on there that when you solve it comes out to Lim-Dul, lol.