Matchup Overview

Overall, the matchup is favorable for any Death and Taxes variation. Infect's strategy is one that Death and Taxes does a great job at disruption through its hatebears and strong blockers. Eldrazi and Taxes does an especially good job at preventing the Infect opponent from winning, thanks to the two Eldrazi. The reason Infect is a great matchup is due to their strategy. Essentially, the Infect player is trying to win by dealing ten infect damage to the opponent. This is done through twelve creatures, four of which are lands. As it turns out, Eldrazi and Taxes has answers to all of their threats. Land destruction deals with their Blinkmoth Nexus, while Path to Exile removes their Blighted Agent. Furthermore, the plethora of blockers available can prevent Glistener Elf from getting in damage. Blinkers such as Flickerwisp and Eldrazi Displacer are also very good at preventing infect damage from gettting through. Postboard, more removal spells are available to combat Infect, but they also get answers to make the matchup slightly worse but still quite favorable. All in all, due to the strength of Eldrazi and Taxes cards against Infect, the matchup is very good, at about 60% or more in your favor.

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Preboard Specifics

How Game 1 Plays Out

Games one is plays out very well for Eldrazi and Taxes due to Infect's strategy. The linear plan for the Infect opponent is to use cheap creatures with infect plus spells to temporarily increase their attack (pump spells) to win the game. Due to a limited number of low-costed infect creatures, the only ones that Infect has are Glistener Elf, Inkmoth Nexus, and Blighted Agent. Twelve threats to answer is not very difficult for Eldrazi and Taxes, especially when most of them do not require Path to Exile. Essentially, the games are focused on preventing these infect creatures from getting damage through, even if that means chump blocking.

The reason the matchup is very favorable for Eldrazi and Taxes is that, aside from Blighted Agent, their infect creatures are no problem. Glistener Elf has zero evasion, leaving it vulnerable to blocking. Eldrazi and Taxes has no problem generating blockers, especially with cards such as Blade Splicer and Wall of Omens. Their other infect creature, Inkmoth Nexus, is harder to block due to its flying keyword. That being said, it is vulnerable to land destruction. Ghost Quarter, Field of Ruin, and Tectonic Edge all excel at taking out an Inkmoth Nexus- as long as the opponent does not have the mana to protect it. Even without a Ghost Quarter, Eldrazi and Taxes has a good number of fliers to block Inkmoth Nexus. Furthermore, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is really good at taxing them. Infect is technically a creature deck, but it uses a plethora of noncreature spells to pump their infect creatures, making Thalia, Guardian of Thraben a powerful hatebear. In terms of Blighted Agent, the best way to answer it is with Path to Exile. Without Path to Exile, there is still hope. Flickerwisp and Eldrazi Displacer can save precious damage, especially if used after they cast a pump spell. All in all, Eldrazi and Taxes's cards line up well against Infect's gameplan, making it difficult for the opponent to enact their game plan.

As the Eldrazi and Taxes player in game one, your goal is to not die to their infect creatures. The best way is to block aggressively. Trading creatures is always favorable, as Path to Exile is best saved for Blighted Agent. It is important to play around their protection pump spells such as Blossoming Defense and Vines of Vastwood. Flickerwisp and Eldrazi Displacer should be used to blink the opponent's creature, especially after they tap out in a way that a protection spell will not counter your plan. Otherwise, understand that Eldrazi and Taxes is the defender in this matchup, but also needs to pressure the opponent before they can set up a lethal turn.

Death and Taxes's Cards in the Matchup

Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is one of Eldrazi and Taxes's better cards in the matchup. Her tax is very effective at hampering their strategy. Infect decks contain over 20 cheap noncreature spells, making Thalia, Guardian of Thraben's tax harmful. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is also a great blocker, as she forces the opponent to use a pump spell if she blocks a Glistener Elf. Often times, her tax will help in two ways. First, as just mentioned, it will slow down the opponent, as their noncreature spells cost an extra mana each. This allows Eldrazi and Taxes to try and close out the game before they can get enough damage through, or at least draw into answers to their infect creatures. The other positive outcome from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben's tax is that, because their noncreature spells cost an extra mana, it is hard for them to cast more than one per turn. Falling into the trap of a Blossoming Defense or Vines of Vastwood countering a removal spell or blink effect is much easier to play around when they cost more mana. Toward the later stages of game one against Infect, it is easy to garner enough mana and/or resources to leave up multiple ways to stop an attacker (Flickerwisp, Eldrazi Displacer ability, Path to Exile). Having the opponent's mana tied up with Thalia, Guardian of Thraben to the point that they cannot leave up more than one defensive spell is not hard to achieve, as they will have to spend mana to activate Inkmoth Nexus and use normal pump spells to get through Eldrazi and Taxes's blockers. All in all, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben excels in this matchup, as her tax slows down Infect's gameplay.

Leonin Arbiter is good in this matchup as well, albeit not as strong as Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. Infect decks run around eight fetch lands, so Leonin Arbiter's tax is certainly relevant. In addition, Ghost Quarter is an important land to use in order to stop their Inkmoth Nexuses from attacking. Leonin Arbiter's ability stopping the opponent from getting a land after Ghost Quartering their Inkmoth Nexus is exactly what Eldrazi and Taxes wants to be doing in this match, especially if Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is present to further hinder their mana situation. One slight issue with Leonin Arbiter is that, with Noble Hierarch, it is hard to Strip Mine the opponent with Ghost Quarter, or simply lock down their fetch lands. That being said, simply taxing their fetch lands is very powerful. Infect lacks any removal game one, so having Leonin Arbiter on turn two often slows the opponent down. While he's no Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Leonin Arbiter is still a fine card against Infect, especially as its tax can straight win games.

Wall of Omens is not as good as it looks in this matchup. A blocker for two mana that draws a card is useful, especially when it forces the opponent to use a pump spell to kill it. However, Wall of Omens has a major weakness in this matchup. Because of how the infect mechanic works, Wall of Omens cannot block small infect creatures indefinitely. For each infect damage Wall of Omens takes, it will get a -1/-1 counter, so it could only block a Glistener Elf getting +1/+1 from a Noble Hierarch twice. Using Restoration Angel, Flickerwisp, or Eldrazi Displacer to both draw a card and remove the -1/-1 counters does mitigate the issue, but that is one less blink effect on one of the opponent's creatures. Blade Splicer, on the other hand, is quite powerful against Infect. Providing two blockers is very useful in preventing Glistener Elf from getting through. Since the Golem tokens have first strike, often times the opponent cannot attack with the Glistener Elf. In addition, Blade Splicer is a very good attacker. Getting in damage against Infect is necessary to win, and the sooner it is done, the better. Blade Splicer helps lower the time the Infect opponent has to find the right set of pump spells to sneak out a win. Overall, both Wall of Omens and Blade Splicer are good cards against Infect, although Blade Splicer tends to shine brighter.

Both Flickerwisp and Restoration Angel are great cards in the Infect matchup. Fliers are necessary to block Inkmoth Nexus, as Ghost Quarter will not always be available. In addition, both are solid attackers to close out a game. The strongest aspect of the fliers against Infect is their blinking ability, especially when used defensively.

This is where Flickerwisp steps in front of Restoration Angel. Since Flickerwisp's ability can target any permenant but itself, it can be used to hinder the opponent's game plan. Taking them off of a mana source for the turn is fine, but the primary usage is to target one of their attackers. Specifically, the attacker that they just cast a pump spell on. Flickerwisping an Infect creature that was recently grown by Might of Old Krosa is straight card advantage. The tricky part, however, is playing around their protection spells. Blossoming Defense or Vines of Vastwood cast after you try Flickerwisping the opponent's Infect attacker can leave you dead. Playing around this is very important (will be discussed more below). Restoration Angel only blocks creatures on Eldrazi and Taxes's side of the board, but it can blink Flickerwisp to do the above interactions. Overall, both fliers are great at a variety of things in this match, especially in regards to preventing attackers from getting through.

Both Eldrazi work great at disrupting the opponent's game plan. Thought-Knot Seer is not too slow against the fast deck. hatebears like Leonin Arbiter and Thalia, Guardian of Thraben plus the many fine blockers already slow down the Infect player by a couple of turns. Therefore, the odds of Thought-Knot Seer hitting a pump spell is very high. Generally, the best pump spell to take is either of the protection spells (Blossoming Defense or Vines of Vastwood) for game one. In post-board games, taking a removal spell is a fine option as well. Before doing this, however, make sure that the opponent cannot flat out win with a Blighted Agent or Inkmoth Nexus already in play. While it does not feel great, take the Become Immense if it is representing lethal rather than their Dismember. Eldrazi Displacer works well if enough time is available. Each Eldrazi Displacer activation represents a Path to Exile, as the opponent must have enough protection spells or else they cannot cast their other pump spells. Just like with Flickerwisp, Eldrazi Displacer's ability the majority of the time is pointed toward an infect creature. But you need to factor in the possibility of Blossoming Defense and/or Vines of Vastwood ruining your plan (will be discussed further below). Overall, both Eldrazi are great in this match, as Thought-Knot Seer disrupts their hand while Eldrazi Displacer makes it very difficult for the opponent to attack.

Aether Vial is not very special in this matchup. The most commmon advantage Aether Vial has against Infect is that it can surprise the opponent with a blocker. Ambushing their Glistener Elf with a Blade Splicer is excellent, especially if they cannot save it. In addition, it lets Flickerwisp come in at instant speed, which is necessary in order to prevent an infect creature from attacking. Aether Vial is also useful at bluffing, as the opponent might not attack with their creature if they fear an Aether Vial activation. Saving precious infect damage is important, so try to always leave Aether Vial untapped on their turn. Path to Exile is amazing, as it is Eldrazi and Taxes's best answer to a Blighted Agent. In addition, it can blow out the opponent if used to take out a creature buffed by a pump spell or two. Similar to Aether Vial, Path to Exile should be bluffed when possible, in order to discourage the opponent from tapping down. Similarly, if you have a Path to Exile in hand, pretending to not have it to trick the opponent into tapping out is a good strategy. Path to Exile is vulnerable to Spell Pierce, Blossoming Defense, and Vines of Vastwood, so play around those cards accordingly. As discussed earlier, Path to Exile is best used on their Blighted Agent, but it is fine to cast it on a different infect creature. Do not get too greedy with Path to Exile- if you need to cast it to survive, just do it.

In terms of other Death and Taxes cards that are not necessarily in this decklist, Phyrexian Revoker is fine at stopping Noble Hierarch's mana ability. It can also prevent a Spellskite from redirecting Path to Exiles and blink effects. Additional removal spells are always great. Cards such as Dismember and Lightning Bolt can be blown out by pump spells, so be careful before casting either. Chalice of the Void is good in this matchup, as it turns off many of their pump spells plus a third of their infect creatures.

Cards to Look Out for- Infect

In game one, the most important cards to look out for are infect creatures and protection spells. The three infect creatures are Glistener Elf, Inkmoth Nexus, and Blighted Agent. Glistener Elf is by far the easiest of the three to deal with, as all of Eldrazi and Taxes's creatures can block it. As long as they do not make it unblockable, Glistener Elf is best dealt with by blocking it. For the most part, this forces them to use a pump spell to save it, which is a fine trade. Inkmoth Nexus can only be blocked by fliers, but it is vulnerable to Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin. The biggest threat though is Blighted Agent. Since it is unblockable, Path to Exile is the only way to remove it game one. While all of Infect's infect creatures are concerns, Blighted Agent is by far the most important to maintain, as it is harder to control. The other part of infect decks are their pump spells. These are not much of an issue aside from the protection ones and Distortion Strike. Blossoming Defense and Vines of Vastwood are the most common protection spells and must be played around. If the opponent ruins your plan with one of these spells, you are often dead. Distortion Strike is a card that can be annoying. Since it works for two turns, finding a permanent solution in terms of dealing with the infect creature is ideal. Otherwise, some lists run a Dismember or two in the main deck, but that is not something that can be played around much, as the majority of your blink effects will be used on the opponent's infect creatures.

Strategies and Interactions

Ghost Quartering Inkmoth Nexus

As stated earlier, Ghost Quarter is best saved for Inkmoth Nexus. Before activating it, keep in mind that the opponent can save it if they have the mana. The line is that they can activate Inkmoth Nexus, and then cast a Blossoming Defense or Vines of Vastwood targeting the Inkmoth Nexus. If you feel the need to Ghost Quarter an Inkmoth Nexus, look at the amount of mana that the opponent has. If they are low on mana or a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben is in play, it is actually better to Ghost Quarter on their turn. Doing that can leave them without an Inkmoth Nexus to attack with, as they will need 3-4 mana to save it. Otherwise, they can simply tap the Inkmoth Nexus to activate it. In addition, if the opponent has a Distortion Strike coming off of rebound, wait for them to activate Inkmoth Nexus before targeting it with Ghost Quarter. After they pay the one mana to activate it, destroy it with Ghost Quarter in response to that ability. Doing so will force them to spend yet another mana to activate it and then save it with a protection spell.

The Flicker Dance

Success in the Infect matchup depends on understanding how to use Eldrazi Displacer and Flickerwisp properly. The first rule is to be reactive when blinking. If the opponent is attacking for one infect damage with a Blighted Agent, just let it happen. If you can only activate Eldrazi Displacer once, doing that can lead to the opponent casting Blossoming Defense and some other pump spells for lethal infect. When using Flickerwisp's ability, it is often best to have it occur on your end step. By doing it then, their protection spell will not increase their infect creature's power for their attack step. This strategy is best done when the opponent has enough resources to win a blink battle. This is also a good idea if your infect counter is high enough that one pump spell is lethal but low enough that one attack is not lethal. All that said, the majority of the time it is simply best to not blink until necessary. When the opponent does not cast any pump spells, Flickerwisp and Eldrazi Displacer's ability can be used to further your board position, which is useful when your mana is tied up in Eldrazi Displacer abilities. Of course, there comes a point where you have to go for it. This is best done when the opponent is lacking in mana and/or cards. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben can make it difficult for the opponent to cast several pump spells a turn. When you want to go in, it is best to start with the least important abilities. Save Path to Exile for later, as it is a harder to repeat effect. Similarly, keep Flickerwisp in hand if Aether Vial is on three. The more blink effects and removal spells you have available on one turn, the better. Do not forget to pressure the opponent's life total- giving them too much time can let them find more protection spells. Also, Thought-Knot Seer can make this dance a lot simpler. Knowing the opponent's hand allows for aggressive plays.

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Postboard Specifics

Sideboarding

Removal is key against Infect. While Dismember is vulnerable to pump spells, it is still a great option. At best, it costs only one colorless mana to remove their threat (as life is almost never relevant). At worst, they save it through a protection spell that would have saved their creature from Path to Exile. Even if they cast a Become Immense on their Glistener Elf, Dismember still gives their creature five less power. A one-mana remove five infect counters is sometimes better than a removal spell, as it technically heals for more than the majority of Infect's pump spells. Otherwise, none of the sideboard cards are playable. There are niche times where a Rest in Peace or Stony Silence helps, but having a spell that is dead 90% of the time is really bad. In other sideboards, adding all removal spells is correct. Settle the Wreckage is the best possible card to bring in, as it is impossible for Infect to stop it as they bring their Spell Pierces out of their deck. Shalai, Voice of Plenty is fine if you expect a lot of removal, but is generally too slow. Leonin Relic-Warder is good enough, as it can take out an Inkmoth Nexus with Aether Vial or a blink effect. It can also answer post board cards such as Spellskite. If you're splashing black, Kambal, Consul of Allocation is better than he looks. Lifegain is not useful against Infect, but the damage it can deal is significant enough to bring him in.

Regardless of turn order, the best cards to take out in this version of Eldrazi and Taxes is one Remorseful Cleric and one Wall of Omens. Remorseful Cleric is very bad, as their graveyard is almost irrelevant. In addition, a 2/1 flier is not great in a matchup with Pendalhaven. Wall of Omens, as mentioned earlier, is not very good against infect creatures in general. While it technically does not block as much as Remorseful Cleric, it does dig for better cards. In other Death and Taxes lists, cutting cards like Thraben Inspector is correct. Blade Splicer, at times, is correct to cut. While it is very good at blocking and pressuring, its mana cost is a little high. Generally, post-board games are a little slower than game one, so Blade Splicer is fine.

What the Opponent Brings In

The cards that Infect opponents bring in are those that counteract removal or add extra threats to their deck. Cards such as Shapers' Sanctuary and Spellskite punish us from using removal spell and blink effects on their creatures. While Shapers' Sanctuary does not actually stop the removal and blinks, it does generate a cad engine for the opponent, which can help them get a win. Spellskite is a very strong card against Eldrazi and Taxes, as it stops Eldrazi Displacer, Flickerwisp, and Path to Exile from stopping their infect creatures. The good news is that cards such as Phyrexian Revoker and Leonin Relic-Warder can answer Spellskite, whereas Shapers' Sanctuary is a little harder to answer. In addition, removal spells such as Dismember come in against Eldrazi and Taxes, as it can deal with Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Eldrazi Displacer. Ultimately, it is very difficult to play around these removal spells, as your blink effects are usually left to stop the opponent's infect creatures from attacking. The final type of card that is boarded in is additional threats. Viridian Corrupter, while not in the sample list, is a very powerful card. It acts as another creature with infect as well as an answer to Eldrazi and Taxes's artifacts. Carrion Call is a strong one as well, as it creates two infect creatures. This card is not that big of an issue, however, as Flickerwisp and Eldrazi Displacer permanently remove the tokens.

How the Matchup Plays Out Post-board

The biggest differences in the games post-board are that they are slightly slower and more attrition based. Eldrazi and Taxes's additional removal spells coupled with the extra protection cards in Infect's post-board deck makes games go longer. Removal spells need to be used more sparingly, as cards such as Spellskite are huge detriments to Eldrazi and Taxes's game plan. It is important to be slightly faster in the post-board games, as the long game is less favored for Eldrazi and Taxes games two and three compared to the first game. Shapers' Sanctuary can easily win a game for the Infect opponent, as they will draw a plethora of cards or else they will kill you. Therefore, the best way to combat that card is to attack aggressively. Your role in the matchup is still to be the defender, but shifting to the aggressor is often done at an earlier stage of the game. Keep in mind that, because Spellskite's ability costs a Phyrexian blue mana, often times the opponent will opt to pay life to redirect an ability to Spellskite. Use this to your advantage, as it can leave the opponent dead to your creatures faster than they can kill you with an infect creature.

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Conclusion

All in all, Infect is an excellent matchup for Eldrazi and Taxes. Cards such as Flickerwisp and Eldrazi Displacer heavily disrupt their attacking gameplan, while the two hate-bears keep them short on the necessary mana to win. Post-board, the Infect opponent gets more answers and ways to hinder Eldrazi and Taxes's strategy, but the games are still quite favorable. I would wager the matchup is about 60% in Eldrazi and Taxes's favor, but it is a quite skillful one in regards to properly using blink effects.

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