Indoctrination Attendant is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Toxic 1 (Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get a poison counter.) When this creature enters, you may return another permanent you control to its owner's hand. If you do, create a 1/1 colorless Phyrexian Mite artifact creature token with toxic 1 and "This token can't block."
Complete guide
Indoctrination Attendant is a versatile Phyrexian Cleric that excels at recycling your resources while expanding your board. By returning a permanent you control to your hand, you can re-trigger powerful entry effects while generating an aggressive token.
A Toxic Presence
This creature features Toxic 1, meaning any player dealt combat damage by it receives a poison counter in addition to the damage. This effect is not a triggered ability and does not use the stack; it happens simultaneously with the damage. Importantly, toxic does not change the amount of damage dealt; a player hit by Indoctrination Attendant loses 3 life and gets 1 poison counter.
Resolving the Trigger
When Indoctrination Attendant enters the battlefield, its ability goes on the stack. You do not choose which permanent to return until the ability actually resolves. Upon resolution, you may choose another permanent you control to return to your hand. If a permanent is successfully returned this way, you create a 1/1 Phyrexian Mite artifact creature token. If you choose not to return anything, or if the permanent you targeted is removed in response, no token is created.
Strategic Synergies
The 'return another permanent' clause is a powerful tool rather than a drawback. You can use it to protect a valuable creature from removal, reset the loyalty of a planeswalker, or reuse 'enters-the-battlefield' abilities. Since the token created has Toxic 1 and cannot block, this card is best utilized in aggressive decks looking to reach those ten poison counters quickly.
Common Mistakes
Remember that the Phyrexian Mite token cannot block, so it provides no defensive value. Additionally, toxic only functions during combat damage; if the Attendant deals noncombat damage or fights another creature, no poison counters are distributed. Finally, toxic is cumulative; if an effect grants it another instance of toxic, both will apply.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield. You cast Indoctrination Attendant. When it enters, you choose to return the Solemn Simulacrum to your hand and create a Phyrexian Mite token. This allows you to cast the Simulacrum again on your next turn to search for another basic land.
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Phyrexian', Indoctrination Attendant enters the battlefield. Its ability triggers twice. You can return one permanent to create a Mite, and then return another permanent (or even the first Mite you just created) to create a second Mite token.
Phyrexian Mite
Poison CounterIf your Indoctrination Attendant and the Phyrexian Mite token both deal combat damage to an opponent, that player loses 4 life and gains two Poison Counters. Once that player reaches ten counters, they lose the game immediately as a state-based action.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Indoctrination Attendant
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Any other effects of that damage, such as life gain from lifelink, still apply.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters.
Card named in this ruling
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Indoctrination Attendant
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