Atraxa Extreme Deck Challenge: Only one source of any given type of Counter.
There are a million Atraxa decks out there. Superfriends, Infect, Voltron. All of them utilize common or uncommon counters, and all of them start to feel the same as one another after playing against them.
But what if Atraxa was a little...odder? What happens if, instead of jamming the deck full of +1/+1 counters and walkers, it ran some of the weirder, more complicated counters?
Thus was the challenge born. To make an Atraxa deck where each counter was unique. That means only one thing that can generate -1/-1 counters, or lore counters, or theft counters.
This turned out to be a lot more possible than I'd originally thought. There are at least 77 unique types of counters that can be run in Atraxa's colors. To make the deck playable, I decided I would run 30 of them as well as some proliferate and some standard EDH cards to smooth out some edges. Not every counter needs to be a good target for proliferate, but cards were much more likely to make the final cut if they did so.
What you see here is the result.
I am hopeful to hear about more and odder types of counters, if there's anything I missed, and if you disagree about my counter choices!
Counters and the Card That was Chosen:
+1/+1 Counters: Gavony Township
It was important this the +1/+1 counter generator be consistent, hard to destroy, threatening and potent. I considered a number of other +1/+1 counter lands -- Novijen, Heart of Progress, Opal Palace and Llanowar Reborn to name a few. In the end, the ability to hit all of my other creatures rather than just my commander won out.
-1/-1 Counters: Black Sun's Zenith
A sweeper that comes back and makes good use of Atraxa's natural proliferate. There are far fewer non-red -1/-1 counters than I was expecting, and frankly most of them were stapled to sorceries, instants or creatures. I want as few one-offs as possible to maximize my token value, so Black Sun's it is.
Poison Counters: Decimator Web
I was about to put Ichor Rats in the deck and then I remembered...Infect makes -1/-1 counters! Turns out there are relatively few cards that exclusively make poison counters, and Decimator Web does a good job of being reusable so I can proliferate on more than one opponent throughout the game.
Energy Counters: Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
If I'm honest, I'm still not convinced of this choice. Aether Hub, Aetherworks Marvel and Gonti's Aether Heart were all also on my short list. In the end, Glint-Sleeve Siphoner's ability to be a low drop, card draw and sneak in a couple of damage won out, especially since Aether Hub only generates 1 energy natively, Aetherworks Marvel is better in a deck with explosive plays and I don't run enough artifacts for Gonti's Aether Heart.
Experience Counters: Meren of Clan Nel Toth
This one was easy. There are only 5 sources of Experience Counters in the game, and while Ezuri, Claw of Progress is cute, Meren is always relevant. Either she hangs out generating value or she eats removal that might otherwise be pointed at Atraxa. Done and done.
Divinity Counters: Myojin of Night's Reach
Five Myojin (One off-color) and That Which Was Taken make Divinity Counters. The White Myojin of Cleansing Fire is a wrath effect, which this deck doesn't need. The green Myojin of Life's Web cheats out creatures--also not helpful. The blue Myojin of Seeing Winds was tempting; I'm a sucker for card draw. But in the end, Myojin of Night's Reach helps me close out the game by clearing whatever nonsense my opponent was about to play. As for That Which Was Taken, it's simply too much mana for the effect.
Charge Counters: Umezawa's Jitte
While I did consider the likes of Lux Cannon, Magistrate's Scepter, and Coalition Relic, the most bang-for-my-buck was pretty strongly Umezawa's Jitte. In terms of raw value per counter and long-term utility it's too good to beat.
Lore Counters: The Eldest Reborn
I was surprised to learn that Sagas used this type of counter. It's also on a surprising spread of older cards including Mind Unbound and Myth Realized. The power of forcing a sacrifice effect and a discard all at once into a reanimate feels good, though, and sadly Phyrexian Scriptures generates a +1/+1 counter as well.
Age Counters: Vexing Sphinx
What a mess this category was. Firstly, Age Counters are almost exclusively used on Cumulative Upkeeps which are typically bad things. There's a handful of exceptions. Psychic Vortex and Mana Chains both showed promise, but neither of them do much until you hit upkeep which is a lot to ask of a card in my playgroup. So Vexing Sphinx, as a 4/4/ flying beater for 3 that draws me a few cards when it dies, wins out.
Brick Counters: Pyramid of the Pantheon
Technically there were competitors; Oracle's Vault and Sunset Pyramid both exist and could do good work. But Pyramid of the Pantheon is too much like a Gilded Lotus, and having some mana fixing that turns into mana acceleration is exactly what this awkward four-color deck needs.
Level-Up Counters: Lighthouse Chronologist
Enclave Cryptologist and Kazandu Tuskcaller are runners up. Extra turns > 3/3s or Card Draw. Simple as that.
Loyalty Counters: Kaya, Ghost Assassin
One of the hardest choices in the deck. Planeswalkers are juicy, and in this color combination there are a lot of truly excellent ones to choose from. Who doesn't want a freely usable Kiora, the Crashing Wave or to race to an ultimate on Tamiyo, the Moon Sage? But Kaya has the ability to protect herself, and her lack of a native plus ability means that the proliferate gets her doing overtime. Maybe as I play I'll find that one of the others would be a better choice, but for now card advantage and self-survival makes Kaya, Ghost Assassin the best choice available.
Time Counters: As Foretold
The majority of Time Counters exist on Suspend cards, which definitely do not want more counters (and, strictly speaking, can't be proliferated on anyway). There are a couple with Vanishing but these are mostly bad or niche cards that even this deck doesn't want to mess around with. But free spells every turn seems pretty good, so As Foretold it is.
Quest Counters: Khalni Heart Expedition
Excellent choices here. Luminarch Ascension and Bloodchief Ascension are both stand-out cards. But they also both like to be built around, and this deck has other things in mind. So it's back to the standby of good ol' Khalni Heart Expedition for me.
Wish Counters: Ring of Three Wishes
Technically the Djinn of Wishes was also an option but since this deck likes to play its cards at a particular time and in a specific order when possible, the recurrable tutor on Ring of Three Wishes seemed worth a try.
Flood Counters: Bounty of the Luxa
Yes, there are multiple cards that make Flood Counters! Quicksilver Fountain turns lands into islands which is...completely irrelevant in this deck. But Bounty of the Luxa is alternating ramp and card draw, and that seems pretty good despite the proliferate trigger being irrelevant.
Scream Counters: Endless Scream
Since the game plan is basically "Murder you in the face with Atraxa", Endless Scream is a great mana-cheap way to get there, and easily beats out the much more complicated All Hallow's Eve for the scream counter spot.
Hour Counters: Midnight Oil
The only competing card for this counter type is Temporal Distortion. Now, since Atraxa has vigilance, Temporal Distortion is even a reasonable choice. But Midnight Oil cares much more about Proliferate and sees a more immediate effect that my opponent is less likely to focus their removal on.
Growth Counters: Momentum
Thank Wizards for weird old cards! Yes, Malignant Growth exists, but it also has Cumulative Upkeep and I much prefer Vexing Sphinx in that slot. Besides, Momentum fills the same commander-buffing slot that Endless Scream does.
Doom Counters: Eye of Doom
More a taste-tester than anything else. Sadly Imminent Doom is in the only color I'm not running, and Armageddon Clock doesn't really help my cause, so I'm trying out Eye of Doom to see how I like it.
Delay Counters: Ertai's Meddling
Possibly my favorite find of this entire adventure; Ertai's Meddling sounds like deciding exactly when an opponent's spell should be cast; at your leisure. While we can't proliferate the delay counters on an exiled spell, it's still fun and distinctive, and a much better fit for the deck than its counterpart Delaying Shield
Hatchling Counters: Ludevic's Test Subject
For when one just really needs a big, stupid stompy dude. And no, Triassic Egg won't cut it.
Fate Counters: Oblivion Stone
Oblivion Stone is a counter-based wrath, and since neither it nor Triad of Fates, the other card that generates Fate Counters, care about Proliferate this is an easy choice.
Plague Counters: Plague Boiler
A controllable, timeable wrath. Strictly speaking, Withering Hex and Traveling Plague both exist. I guess.
Arrow Counters: Archery Training
No, you're not missing anything, Archery Training is the only card that generates Arrow Counters. In fact, there are a whole bunch of entirely-unique counters, and that's what the rest of this list is. So the question becomes, why this and not one of the other unique counters? Archery Training partners well with Atraxa; since she's both vigilant and deathtouch-y she can attack and then archery one of the blockers to death before damage is dealt, or even eat one on the swing back. Pretty good for an obsure one-drop aura.
Tower Counters: Helix Pinnacle
Because what good is a weird, slow proliferate deck without the classic weird, slow proliferate win condition of Helix Pinnacle?
Theft Counters: Night Dealings
Hopefully, Atraxa will be connecting with some consistency. If she is, this card is another excuse to go digging for exactly the kind of obscure counter I need at the moment. And if not, Night Dealings only requires one counter for the proliferate to suddenly be very, very good.
Landmark Counters: Treasure Map
Who knew Treasure Map
was unique? All the better for me; scrying, card draw and mana acceleration are all excellent things for this deck to be running.
+1/+2 Counters: Armor Thrull
What's better than +1/+1? Armor Thrull answers; +1/+2!
Rejects: An Incomplete List
Woodripper, Fade Counters
Yisan, the Wanderer Bard, Verse Counters
Arbiter of the Ideal, Manifestation Counters
Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle, Slumber Counters
Dragon's Hoard, Gold Counters
Aven Mimeomancer. Feather Counters
Azor's Elocutors, Filibuster Counters
Barrin's Codex, Page Counters
Bloodletter Quill, Blood Counters
Dreadship Reef, Storage Counters
Bounty Hunter, Bounty Counters
Briber's Purse, Gem Counters
Curse of Vengeance, Spite Counters
Deadly Designs, Plot Counters
Decree of Silence, Depletion Counters
Descent into Madness, Despair Counters
Festering Wound, Infection Counters
Divine Intervention, Intervention Counters
Spore Flower, Spore Counters
Etrata, the Silencer, Hit Counters
Freyalise's Winds, Wind Counters
Fylgja, Healing Counters
Grimoire of the Dead, Study Counters
Gutter Grime, Slime Counters
Gwafa Hazid, Profiteer, Bribery Counters
Hankyu, Aim Counters
Magma Mine. Pressure Counters
Hoofprints of the Stag Hoofprint Counters
Icatian Moneychanger, Ice Counters
Thing in the Ice
, Ice Counters
Isareth the Awakener, Corpse Counters
Jar of Eyeballs, Eyeball Counters
Legacy's Allure, Treasure Counters
Liege of the Tangle, Awakening Counters
Lotus Blossom. Petal Counters
Magnetic Web, Magnet Counters
Palliation Accord, Shield Counters
Powder Keg, Fuse Counters
Quarantine Field, Isolation Counters
Rasputin Dreamweaver, Dream Counters
Soul Echo, Echo Counters
Lead-Belly Chimera, +2/+2 counters
Balduvian Hydra, +1/+0 counters
Coral Reef, +0/+1 Counters
Wall of Roots, -0/-1 Counters
Spirit Shackle -0/-2 Counters
Contagion. -2/-1 Counters
