Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

$13.19

Skithiryx is a 4/4 flier with infect, so it gives players poison counters instead of damage. Ten poison kills, which means three hits from the bare dragon, or fewer once it carries equipment. {B} gives it haste, so it can swing the turn it comes back from the command zone, and {B}{B} regenerates it against destroy effects and sweepers. Decks build around protecting and pumping it, with fast mana to cast it early and removal to clear blockers.

In the recorded games, equipment did most of the work. Cranial Plating and Blackblade Reforged turned Skithiryx into a two-hit or one-hit kill, and Lightning Greaves kept it safe. Fast starts with Chrome Mox put a dangerous threat out early, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel gave an extra drain swing in some lists. All Is Dust reset boards while the colorless equipment stayed. The weak spots were clear: Doom Blade style removal, The Abyss and flash blockers kept slowing it, and once a single threat was answered, the deck often lacked backup. Exile effects get around the regeneration.