Tyrranax Atrocity 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
Haste Toxic 3 (Players dealt combat damage by this creature also get three poison counters.)
Complete guide
Tyrranax Atrocity is a terrifying Phyrexian Dinosaur that brings the threat of immediate poison to the battlefield. With its combination of speed and high-impact toxic values, it forces opponents to reconsider their defensive lines quickly. Unlike traditional infect, this creature deals standard combat damage while layering poison counters on top.
What it Does
Tyrranax Atrocity features two key keywords: Haste and Toxic 3. Haste allows it to attack the very turn it is played, bypassing summoning sickness. Toxic 3 means that whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player also receives three poison counters. It is important to remember that these counters are in addition to the 4 life the player will lose from its power.
How it Resolves
When Tyrranax Atrocity attacks and is not blocked, it moves to the combat damage step. First, it deals 4 damage to the player, causing them to lose 4 life. Simultaneously, the Toxic 3 ability applies, and the player receives three poison counters. Unlike triggered abilities, Toxic is a static ability that modifies the results of damage; it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to once damage is dealt. If a player reaches ten poison counters, they lose the game immediately as a state-based action.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that increasing the creature's power increases the poison counters. This is false; whether Tyrranax Atrocity deals 4 damage or 40 damage, the player still only receives three poison counters from Toxic 3. Additionally, Toxic only functions during combat damage dealt to a player. If this creature deals damage to a creature like Solemn Simulacrum, it deals regular damage and does not place poison counters on the creature or its controller.
When to Play It
This card is best used as a finisher in aggressive green decks or dedicated poison strategies. Because it has Haste, it is an excellent follow-up after a board wipe or when an opponent taps out, allowing you to suddenly add 30% of the poison required to win the game in a single swing.
Interaction examples
Poison CounterYou cast Tyrranax Atrocity and immediately attack your opponent who has no blockers. Upon dealing combat damage, your opponent loses 4 life and gains three Poison Counter tokens. The Toxic effect happens at the exact same time as the life loss.
Solemn SimulacrumYou attack with Tyrranax Atrocity, and your opponent blocks with Solemn Simulacrum. Tyrranax Atrocity deals 4 damage to the Golem, and the Golem deals 2 damage to the Dinosaur. Because combat damage was not dealt to a player, no poison counters are generated.
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Dinosaur' chosen, you might expect the poison to double. However, Toxic is a static ability, not a triggered ability (it doesn't use 'when', 'whenever', or 'at'). Therefore, Roaming Throne does not cause Tyrranax Atrocity to give extra poison counters.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tyrranax Atrocity
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
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Meta decks with Tyrranax Atrocity
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