Anti-Venom, Horrifying Healer

—

Anti-Venom is a 5/5 for WWWWW with a conditional ETB reanimation (must be cast) and a damage-prevention replacement effect that converts all damage into +1/+1 counters, making him effectively immune to combat damage and pingers while growing. The reanimation on cast makes him a two-for-one in reanimator/white midrange shells; the counter-accumulation from damage prevention synergizes with counters-voltron strategies. The pip-heavy cost (WWWWW) locks him strictly into mono-white or near-mono-white builds, limiting cross-archetype appeal.

• The damage-prevention replacement effect applies to ALL damage sources including combat, spells, and abilities — opponent burn, board wipes that deal damage (e.g. Blasphemous Act), and pingers all convert to +1/+1 counters rather than killing him, making wrath-by-damage effects and ping-based removal completely ineffective.

  tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

• Because the reanimation trigger requires Anti-Venom to have been 'cast,' he does not trigger if put onto the battlefield via another reanimation spell or Sneak Attack — this is a notable limitation in reanimator shells that cheat creatures into play.

  tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

• WWWWW is one of the most restrictive pip requirements in Commander; even dedicated mono-white decks may struggle to cast him on curve without substantial mana fixing, making fast-mana rocks and land-based ramp particularly important in decks that run him as a finisher.

  tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

• EDHREC rank: #5,559