Psychosis Crawler 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
Psychosis Crawler's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand. Whenever you draw a card, each opponent loses 1 life.
Complete guide
Psychosis Crawler is a formidable Phyrexian Horror that turns your card advantage into a lethal weapon for your opponents. Its presence on the battlefield ensures that every new piece of information you gain results in a direct loss of life for everyone else at the table.
Variable Power and Toughness
The first ability of Psychosis Crawler is a characteristic-defining ability that functions in all zones, including the graveyard and library. Its power and toughness constantly update as the number of cards in your hand changes. If an effect causes you to draw a card, its power and toughness increase immediately before the triggered ability is even put on the stack.
How the Trigger Resolves
Whenever you draw a card, the second ability triggers. This is a triggered ability that uses the stack and can be responded to. If you draw multiple cards at once, such as from an effect that says 'draw three cards,' the ability triggers three separate times. Each instance resolves individually, causing each opponent to lose 1 life per trigger.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is forgetting that Psychosis Crawler's toughness changes instantly. If you have zero cards in hand, Psychosis Crawler will have 0 toughness and be put into your graveyard as a state-based action before you have a chance to play any spells. Additionally, remember that life loss is not the same as damage; cards that prevent damage will not stop Psychosis Crawler's effect.
Strategic Timing
Because Psychosis Crawler rewards you for drawing, it is best played in decks with heavy card draw or 'wheel' effects. It serves as a win condition that bypasses combat, making it ideal for breaking stalemates where the board is stalled with creatures.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have both creatures on the battlefield and Solemn Simulacrum dies, its triggered ability goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you draw a card. This immediately increases Psychosis Crawler's power and toughness by 1 and triggers its ability, causing each opponent to lose 1 life.
Roaming ThroneIf you play Roaming Throne and choose 'Phyrexian' or 'Horror', its replacement effect applies to Psychosis Crawler. When you draw a card, Psychosis Crawler's ability triggers, and Roaming Throne causes it to trigger an additional time. Each opponent will lose a total of 2 life for every single card you draw.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Psychosis Crawler
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect causes you to draw multiple cards, Psychosis Crawler will trigger that many times.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Psychosis Crawler + Peer into the Abyss
- 1Cast Peer into the Abyss by paying
, causing you to draw half your library and lose half your life total, rounding up each time. - 2Psychosis Crawler triggers for each card you drew, causing each opponent to lose life equal to the number of cards you drew.
Kefka, Court Mage // Kefka, Ruler of Ruin + Psychosis Crawler
- 1Draw a card.
- 2Psychosis Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life.
- 3Kefka triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Psychosis Crawler + Scrawling Crawler + Windfall + Teferi's Ageless Insight
- 1Cast Windfall by paying
, causing each player to discard their hand and each opponent to draw cards equal to the greatest number of cards discarded this way, and you to draw twice that number due to Teferi's Ageless Insight. - 2Psychosis Crawler triggers for each card you draw, and Scrawling Crawler triggers for each card opponents draw.
- 3Resolve the Psychosis Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card you drew.
- 4Resolve the Scrawling Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card they drew.
Enter the Infinite + Psychosis Crawler
- 1Cast Enter the Infinite by paying
, causing you to draw your library and then put a card on top of your library. - 2Psychosis Crawler triggers for each card drawn, causing each opponent to lose that much life.
Psychosis Crawler + Scrawling Crawler + Windfall + Alhammarret's Archive
- 1Cast Windfall by paying , causing each player to discard their hand and each opponent to draw cards equal to the greatest number of cards discarded this way, and you to draw twice that number due to Alhammarret's Archive.
- 2Psychosis Crawler triggers for each card you draw, and Scrawling Crawler triggers for each card opponents draw.
- 3Resolve the Psychosis Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card you drew.
- 4Resolve the Scrawling Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card they drew.
Psychosis Crawler + Scrawling Crawler + Windfall + Vnwxt, Verbose Host
- 1Cast Windfall by paying , causing each player to discard their hand and each opponent to draw cards equal to the greatest number of cards discarded this way, and you to draw twice that number due to Vnwxt.
- 2Psychosis Crawler triggers for each card you draw, and Scrawling Crawler triggers for each card opponents draw.
- 3Resolve the Psychosis Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card you drew.
- 4Resolve the Scrawling Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card they drew.
Psychosis Crawler + Scrawling Crawler + Windfall + Bard, King of Dale
- 1Cast Windfall by paying , causing each player to discard their hand and each opponent to draw cards equal to the greatest number of cards discarded this way, and you to draw twice that number due to Bard.
- 2Psychosis Crawler triggers for each card you draw, and Scrawling Crawler triggers for each card opponents draw.
- 3Resolve the Psychosis Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card you drew.
- 4Resolve the Scrawling Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life for each card they drew.
Psychosis Crawler + Drogskol Reaver + Exquisite Blood
- 1Draw a card.
- 2Psychosis Crawler triggers, causing each opponent to lose 1 life.
- 3Exquisite Blood triggers for each opponent.
- 4Resolve the first Exquisite Blood trigger, causing you to gain 1 life.
- 5Drogskol Reaver triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 6Repeat from step 2.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Psychosis Crawler
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.