This card is actually kind of boring. Infect and
lifelink are a neat combination, and the
existence of this card might get people to stop
asking if creatures with infect can trigger
lifelink, but it's still just a 1/1 for two
mana. It's Plague Stinger sans the evasion. But
then, when Scars of Mirrodin came out, the
infect deck was basically an all-out aggro deck
with no late game. Mirrodin Beseiged seems
intent on making the infect deck a bit slower
and less aggressive. If you dislike that,
Flensermite is for you, because it's one of the
few two-mana infect creatures in Beseiged. If
you do like a slower infect build, Flensermite
is still for you, because it has lifelink and
can therefore help extend your survivability.
Phyrexians are aggressive, adaptive, and
predatory - flavorous qualities that come
through surprisingly well in Flensermite's
deceptively simple design. It works as the
aggressive infect deck's early pressure. It can
defend better than your average Runeclaw Bear,
as some people will be reluctant to get -1/-1
counters on their creatures. It does crazy
stupid things with cards like Groundswell and
Stonewood Invocation. Whatever infect deck
emerges from Mirrodin Besieged will have a hard
time finding a better-fitting creature - for
this cost, but also just in general - than
Flensermite.
Welcome back readers continuing our infect week
today we have Flensermite from Mirrodin
Besieged. For two mana you get a 1/1 infect body
with lifelink attached. In constructed I don’t
think this will make the break in an infect deck
there are more powerful creatures at the 2 drop
and this card just doesn’t cut the mustard for
tournaments. In extended and eternal the same
applies this is not a constructed card Ichorclaw
Myr, Plague Stinger and Necropede can do all you
need in the form of a two drop and that’s not
even dipping into the green section of infect,
this card won’t see play its highly inefficient
and just two small to make an impact. In casual
and multiplayer lifelink is a good ability to
have, I don’t think this guy can do much in
multiplayer trying to kill players through
poison counters and attacking seems like a
lackluster stratedgy proliferate would be more
profitable. In limited its small infect dude who
may help you in winning life races if your
infect its not a bad pick. Overall a reasonably
interesting creature but I don’t feel it has any
constructed applications and is poor overall.
Although I can see my review coming to bite me
when infect decks use this as a small offense
drop.
Today's card of the day is Flensermite which is
a two mana 1/1 with Infect and Lifelink. This is
not technically a bad card, but requires some
kind of toughness enhancement as an opponent
will generally want to and easily be able to
destroy it quickly. It can be used as a two drop
option in an Infect deck, but there are better
options than the defensive Lifelink to apply
pressure and generally win the game before the
extra life would be an asset.
In Limited this is more useful than in
Constructed and is worth playing in any Black
build for Sealed and drafting towards the middle
of the pack in Booster. It isn't a great card,
but a good early drop to help build up life
points and applying poison counters which is
fair for the cost in the format.
Today’s Card of the Day for our infect week is
Flensermite. I’ll be honest, I find Flensermite
quite interesting. Flensermite is a 1/1 for one
generic and one black mana. He obviously has
infect, but what is interesting about him, he
also has lifelink. I know, I was amazed, too.
Any creature that has lifelink that hits the
table early is fine with me. If as it gains me
life, it deals poison counters, or weakens
whatever it hits, also fine by me. And there are
so many ways to further exploit these abilities
in standard it isn’t even funny. Give him +2/+2
with Grafted Exoskeleton for more life and more
infection. What is nicest about this gremlin,
while battling against the Mirrans, he is aiding
you by gaining you life, while Phyrexians still
need to work half as hard. But gaining life
means the Mirran based decks need to work even
harder. By the way, speaking of Gremlin, I
should mention that this is only the second
Gremlin ever printed in the Magic: The Gathering
card game. Interestingly enough, the first was
also a Phyrexian, Phyrexian Gremlins from
Antiquities.
In more extended play, I don’t think this guy
will see much in the way of serious thought, but
he should be a staple for any Phyrexian based
standard deck. It could even find a home in many
black decks. And perhaps some of them could even
be vintage that could improve on this little
monstrosity. I know I plan on using this gremlin
with Shade’s Form. Granting it the shade
ability, pay a black mana creature gets +1/+1.
Looking forward to my opponents reaction to that
one.
