What is the Difference Between Infect and Toxic?
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The main difference between infect and toxic is that infect deals damage to players in the form of poison counters equal to the creature’s power, while toxic deals a specified number of poison counters to players, regardless of the creature’s power. This fundamental distinction has significant implications for gameplay, as infect creatures can quickly accumulate poison counters on a player, while toxic creatures provide a more consistent, albeit potentially less explosive, source of poison counters.
Understanding Infect and Toxic
In order to fully grasp the difference between infect and toxic, it is essential to understand how each keyword ability functions. Infect is an ability that allows creatures to deal damage to players in the form of poison counters, which can be a powerful and potentially game-ending strategy. On the other hand, toxic is an ability that gives players a specified number of poison counters when dealt combat damage by a creature with toxic.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are Infect and Toxic the Same Thing?
No, infect and toxic are not the same thing, as infect deals damage to players in the form of poison counters equal to the creature’s power, while toxic deals a specified number of poison counters to players.
2. How Does Infect Work?
Infect works by dealing damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.
3. Can a Creature Have Both Infect and Toxic?
Yes, a creature can have both infect and toxic, and when combat damage resolves, the creature can add poison counters from both abilities.
4. Is Poison and Toxic the Same in MtG?
No, poison and toxic are not the same in MtG, as toxic is a static effect and poisonous is triggered.
5. How Do You Counter Infect?
One way to counter infect is to overwhelm an infect opponent with removal spells, or to use cards that can break the rules of Magic, such as Pact.
6. Can a Creature Have Toxic 1 Twice?
Yes, a creature can have toxic 1 twice, and the multiple instances of toxic are cumulative.
7. What Does Infect Do?
Infect deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.
8. Do You Gain Life with Infect?
Yes, the creature’s controller will gain life if the creature has lifelink in addition to infect.
9. Does Toxic Work on Poison Types?
No, toxic cannot affect poison-type Pokémon.
10. Do Poison and Toxic Counters Stack?
Yes, multiple instances of toxic do stack, and if a creature with toxic has trample and only ends up dealing 1 damage to a player, that player still gets the specified number of poison counters.
11. What Are the Three Toxic Types?
The three toxic types are acute toxicity, subchronic toxicity, and chronic toxicity.
12. What Qualifies as Toxic?
A chemical is considered toxic if it has adverse health effects, which can strike a single cell, a group of cells, an organ system, or the entire body.
13. What Are the Two Types of Toxic?
There are generally five types of toxicities: chemical, biological, physical, radioactive, and behavioural.
14. Does Double Strike Work with Infect?
Yes, double strike works with infect, and a double striking creature with infect deals damage twice in the form of counters to creatures and players.
15. Can You Remove Toxic Counters?
No, poison counters cannot be removed, contrasting to life gain, although there are some exceptions, such as Leeches from Homelands.