TCG Playability
Creature — Phyrexian Imp
Flying Corrupted — As long as an opponent has three or more poison counters, this creature has deathtouch and lifelink.
"Get away from there! I must rebuild that one for the next bout. Shoo, shoo!" —Keskit, the Flesh Sculptor
Bonepicker Skirge is a versatile evasive creature from ONE that offers excellent value in poison-focused strategies and aggressive black decks across multiple formats. This two-mana Phyrexian Imp enters with flying, immediately providing evasion that lets it attack past ground blockers, and its conditional corrupted ability transforms it into a serious threat the moment an opponent accumulates three or more poison counters. Once corrupted, the flying creature gains both deathtouch and lifelink, making it an exceptional combat threat that forces difficult blocking decisions while providing a pathway to stabilize your life total. The card fits naturally into Infect and poison-themed decks, particularly in formats like Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy where poison strategies see competitive play, but it's also valuable in traditional black midrange and tempo decks as a reliable early threat with upside potential. What makes Bonepicker Skirge particularly attractive is its efficiency at two mana combined with built-in synergy with the poison mechanic; you don't need to build entirely around poison to benefit from this card, as any deck playing poison sources gains access to a cheap creature with a powerful upgrade clause. The card sees application in Commander and Oathbreaker formats as well, where it can slot into poison-focused strategies or serve as a value creature in black-based control and tempo shells. Its accessibility across formats including Pauper and Timeless makes it an excellent pickup for collectors and competitive players alike, offering a strong power-to-mana ratio with conditional late-game impact that rewards players for building around poison mechanics while remaining functional in vacuum as a simple flying attacker.
Illustrated by Dave Kendall