Art: Filip Burburan · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast

Xyris, the Writhing Storm

URG

Legendary Creature — Snake Leviathan · from $1.61

Flying Whenever an opponent draws a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, create a 1/1 green Snake creature token. Whenever Xyris deals combat damage to a player, you and that player each draw that many cards.

Build with this commander Start with a starter shell Card details, printings & prices

A typical Commander deck

A starting template, not a rule — counts to fill in around the commander.

Lands3736–38 for most decks; fewer with cheap curves
Ramp10mana rocks, dorks, land ramp — mostly 2–3 mana
Card draw10repeatable engines beat one-shot cantrips
Targeted removal6answers for creatures AND artifacts/enchantments
Board wipes3sweepers reset boards you've lost
Synergy & win conditions33the deck's actual plan

Staples in these colors

The 100 cards that fit this color identity in the most EDHREC decklists (EDHREC rank via Scryfall).

Budget

61 of 100 at $5 or less · 41 at $1 or less

#	Card	Type	MV	Price
1	Sol Ring	Artifact	1	$1.07
2	Command Tower	Land	0	$0.26
3	Arcane Signet	Artifact	2	$0.34
4	Exotic Orchard	Land	0	$0.19
5	Reliquary Tower	Land	0	$4.28
6	Swiftfoot Boots	Artifact	2	$1.43
7	Lightning Greaves	Artifact	2	$3.86
8	Path of Ancestry	Land	0	$0.16
9	Counterspell	Instant	2	$1.33
10	Fellwar Stone	Artifact	2	$0.47
11	Rogue's Passage	Land	0	$0.31
12	Evolving Wilds	Land	0	$0.09
13	Cultivate	Sorcery	3	$0.38
14	Thought Vessel	Artifact	2	$2.23
15	Blasphemous Act	Sorcery	9	$0.72
16	Farseek	Sorcery	2	$0.42
17	Beast Within	Instant	3	$0.49
18	Nature's Lore	Sorcery	2	$2.15
19	Rampant Growth	Sorcery	2	$0.39
20	Heroic Intervention	Instant	2	$9.28
21	Terramorphic Expanse	Land	0	$0.10
22	Chaos Warp	Instant	3	$0.32
23	Myriad Landscape	Land	0	$0.25
24	Mind Stone	Artifact	2	$0.21
25	An Offer You Can't Refuse	Instant	1	$3.01
26	Birds of Paradise	Creature	1	$4.98
27	Polluted Delta	Land	0	$19.85
28	Kodama's Reach	Sorcery	3	$1.55
29	Flooded Strand	Land	0	$12.78
30	Three Visits	Sorcery	2	$5.55
31	Skullclamp	Artifact	1	$4.85
32	Solemn Simulacrum	Creature	4	$0.27
33	Misty Rainforest	Land	0	$35.98
34	Bloodstained Mire	Land	0	$14.54
35	Fabled Passage	Land	0	$0.65
36	Windswept Heath	Land	0	$11.19
37	Rhystic Study	Enchantment	3	$61.06
38	Wooded Foothills	Land	0	$17.96
39	Verdant Catacombs	Land	0	$29.16
40	Scalding Tarn	Land	0	$36.86
41	Marsh Flats	Land	0	$32.04
42	Arcane Denial	Instant	2	$1.88
43	Commander's Sphere	Artifact	3	$0.19
44	Negate	Instant	2	$0.12
45	Arid Mesa	Land	0	$31.40
46	Cyclonic Rift	Instant	2	$29.75
47	Llanowar Elves	Creature	1	$0.24
48	Breeding Pool	Land	0	$9.15
49	Steam Vents	Land	0	$9.63
50	Swan Song	Instant	1	$10.72
51	Ancient Tomb	Land	0	$56.94
52	Brainstorm	Instant	1	$0.56
53	Deflecting Swat	Instant	3	$70.85
54	Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth	Land	0	$56.13
55	Sulfur Falls	Land	0	$0.20
56	Boseiju, Who Endures	Land	0	$50.48
57	Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth	Land	0	$16.76
58	Fierce Guardianship	Instant	3	$59.21
59	Temple of the False God	Land	0	$0.19
60	Chromatic Lantern	Artifact	3	$0.38
61	Cinder Glade	Land	0	$0.25
62	Otawara, Soaring City	Land	0	$26.57
63	Garruk's Uprising	Enchantment	3	$0.39
64	City of Brass	Land	0	$9.17
65	The One Ring	Artifact	4	$109.88
66	Hinterland Harbor	Land	0	$0.28
67	Faithless Looting	Sorcery	1	$0.36
68	Frantic Search	Instant	3	$0.82
69	Mystic Remora	Enchantment	1	$10.97
70	Vandalblast	Sorcery	1	$1.74
71	Elvish Mystic	Creature	1	$0.35
72	Jeska's Will	Sorcery	3	$39.58
73	Cavern of Souls	Land	0	$47.72
74	Propaganda	Enchantment	3	$1.84
75	Sakura-Tribe Elder	Creature	2	$0.30
76	Shivan Reef	Land	0	$0.22
77	Mana Confluence	Land	0	$34.75
78	Urza's Saga	Enchantment	0	$34.67
79	Mana Drain	Instant	2	$50.65
80	Lotus Petal	Artifact	0	$35.11
81	Eternal Witness	Creature	3	$1.10
82	Talisman of Creativity	Artifact	2	$0.45
83	Wayfarer's Bauble	Artifact	1	$0.31
84	Rootbound Crag	Land	0	$0.23
85	Roaming Throne	Creature	4	$47.06
86	Ashnod's Altar	Artifact	3	$8.15
87	Yavimaya Coast	Land	0	$0.31
88	Big Score	Instant	4	$0.41
89	War Room	Land	0	$0.79
90	Abrade	Instant	2	$0.17
91	Ponder	Sorcery	1	$1.82
92	Rejuvenating Springs	Land	0	$4.12
93	Delighted Halfling	Creature	1	$25.91
94	Herald's Horn	Artifact	3	$2.88
95	Mana Vault	Artifact	1	$91.59
96	Training Center	Land	0	$17.67
97	Pongify	Instant	1	$2.21
98	Chrome Mox	Artifact	0	$51.19
99	Lightning Bolt	Instant	1	$0.75
100	Windfall	Sorcery	3	$4.78

Curve of these staples

Most played with Xyris, the Writhing Storm

The 25 most-played cards in 32 settled top-16 lists running Xyris, the Writhing Storm (any pairing) at 16+ player events since Mar 28, 2026, ranked by lists played — top-4 counts shown for context. Results from Topdeck.gg.

#	Card	Played in	Top 4
1	Command Tower	100% · 32 of 32	10
2	Goblin Bombardment	94% · 30 of 32	9
3	Sol Ring	91% · 29 of 32	9
4	Island	88% · 28 of 32	10
5	Purphoros, God of the Forge	88% · 28 of 32	8
6	Arcane Signet	84% · 27 of 32	8
7	Birds of Paradise	84% · 27 of 32	8
8	Steam Vents	81% · 26 of 32	8
9	Windfall	81% · 26 of 32	8
10	Fierce Guardianship	78% · 25 of 32	7
11	Wooded Foothills	78% · 25 of 32	6
12	An Offer You Can't Refuse	75% · 24 of 32	8
13	Chord of Calling	75% · 24 of 32	6
14	Mountain	75% · 24 of 32	10
15	Ancient Tomb	72% · 23 of 32	5
16	Chrome Mox	72% · 23 of 32	5
17	Deflecting Swat	72% · 23 of 32	6
18	Delighted Halfling	72% · 23 of 32	5
19	Elvish Spirit Guide	72% · 23 of 32	6
20	Enduring Vitality	72% · 23 of 32	7
21	Force of Will	72% · 23 of 32	5
22	Gaea's Cradle	72% · 23 of 32	5
23	Hexing Squelcher	72% · 23 of 32	6
24	Mana Vault	72% · 23 of 32	5
25	Mental Misstep	72% · 23 of 32	5

Combos with Xyris, the Writhing Storm

8 combos using this commander that fit its color identity, from Commander Spellbook.

Intruder Alarm + Lore Broker + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite draw triggers for all players · Infinite looting for all players · Infinite self-discard triggers for all players · Near-infinite creature tokens · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite untap of all creatures
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Intruder Alarm + Red Death, Shipwrecker + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite creature ETB · Infinite card draw for any number of opponents · Infinite creature tokens · Infinite draw triggers for any number of opponents · Infinite mana creatures you control can produce · Infinite untap of creatures
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Cephalid Looter + Intruder Alarm + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite draw triggers for each opponent · Infinite looting for opponents · Infinite self-discard triggers for opponents · Near-infinite creature tokens · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite untap of all creatures
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Breath of Fury + Fervor + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite card draw · Infinite draw triggers · Near-infinite combat phases · Near-infinite creature tokens with haste · Near-infinite death triggers · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite creature LTB · Near-infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Near-infinite untap of creatures you control · Near-infinite mana creatures you control can produce
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Ashnod's Altar + Folio of Fancies + Mind Over Matter + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite card draw · Near-infinite colorless mana
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Ashnod's Altar + Intruder Alarm + Lumengrid Augur + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite draw triggers for each opponent · Infinite looting for opponents · Infinite self-discard triggers for opponents · Near-infinite colorless mana · Near-infinite creature tokens · Near-infinite death triggers · Near-infinite creature ETB · Near-infinite creature LTB · Near-infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Near-infinite untap of all creatures
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Aura of Dominion + Red Death, Shipwrecker + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite creature ETB · Infinite card draw for any number of opponents · Infinite draw triggers for any number of opponents · Infinite tapped creature tokens
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo
Bloom Tender + Intruder Alarm + Jace's Archivist + Kozilek, Butcher of Truth + Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Infinite creature tokens · Infinite death triggers · Infinite draw triggers · Infinite draw triggers for each opponent · Infinite creature ETB · Infinite looting · Infinite looting for opponents · Infinite creature LTB · Infinite mana creatures you control can produce · Infinite mana of colors among permanents you control · Infinite creature sacrifice triggers · Infinite self-discard triggers · Infinite self-discard triggers for opponents · Infinite untap of creatures
How it works on Commander Spellbook
Build around this combo

Top finishes

The 8 most recent of 33 finishes placing top 16 at 16+ player events with this commander. Results from Topdeck.gg.

4th of 28 — Space Coast Treasures CEDH Tournament on Topdeck.ggSep 19, 2026 · 2–4–1 · by Brandon Allison
3rd of 25 — Commander Casual - Magic Barcelona on Topdeck.ggSep 4, 2026 · 1–1–0 · by David García Centelles
14th of 21 — MCL Shuffle n Cut 48-Open - CEDH Melbourne Aug 2026 on Topdeck.ggAug 22, 2026 · 0–1–3 · by Archer Lloyd
13th of 48 — Level 7 englewood Cedh 8/14 on Topdeck.ggAug 15, 2026 · 1–2–0 · by [CRASH] Anthony Warren
15th of 16 — VG+ Cedh Melee LXXV Single Elimination on Topdeck.ggAug 13, 2026 · 0–1–0 · by Stuart Braud
1st of 16 — EDH 210 @ Inugami #2 on Topdeck.ggAug 6, 2026 · 2–0–2 · by Vicente Schultz
11th of 18 — Magic: The Gathering - cEDH - Store Championship on Topdeck.ggAug 1, 2026 · 1–3–0 · by Moose Cox [MSG]
2nd of 16 — The Burg Beatdown: Round 2 on Topdeck.ggJul 25, 2026 · 3–2–0 · by Alexander Dickinson

All 33 finishes →

Card data and images courtesy of Scryfall; popularity ranking from EDHREC decklist data included in Scryfall bulk. Combo data courtesy of Commander Spellbook. Tournament results courtesy of Topdeck.gg. Deckwarden is unofficial Fan Content and is not endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.

Commanders