Use Magic: The Gathering Oil counters in Phyrexia: All Will Be One Limited, and other formats, to enable additional abilities and effects from your Artifacts and creatures.
Oil counters are a secondary mechanic showcased in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, representing Phyrexian glistening oil and the power it can give Artifacts and creatures. The set also includes the MTG Proliferate mechanic, giving players another means to increase Oil counters on their permanents. There are a total of 31 cards in the ONE set that synergize with Oil counters, with Black being the only color that doesn’t use them.
- Red: 11 cards
- Green: Seven cards
- Blue: Eight cards
- Colorless: Four cards
- White: Two cards
Most ONE cards with Oil counters have them upon entering the battlefield or through an effect like a Death trigger or casting a non-creature spell. Six of the 31 cards are enablers, having an ability that places Oil counters on another target.
Here are the six Oil counter enablers in Phyrexia: All Will Be One.
All MTG Oil counter enablers in Phyrexia: All Will Be One
Free from Flesh
Free from Flesh is a cheap one-mana (R) combat trick that pumps a creature +2/+2 while also putting two Oil counters on it. Evolving Adaptive is a good target, as it keeps the pumped-up stats from the two Oil counters. Atraxa’s Skitterfang is another solid choice, along with Trawler Drake in UR spells matter decks.
The Monumental Facade
With the cycle of Sphere lands in ONE, there is a land that can put an Oil counter on another target, but only at Sorcery speed and once per turn. The Monumental Facade enters the battlefield with two Oil counters. Players can then tap it to remove an Oil counter and place it on a target Artifact or creature. With Proliferate synergies, The Monumental Facade is a decent Oil counter engine.
Ichorplate Golem
Ichorplate Golem is an Oil counter lord, giving all creatures with Oil counters +1/+1 stats. Upon a creature entering the battlefield with an Oil counter(s), Ichorplate Golem adds an additional Oil counter to it. Decks that don’t have an abundance of creatures and Artifacts with Oil counters will likely want to avoid Ichorplate Golem.
Furnace Skullbomb
Skullbombs are another cycle in ONE, with the Furnace Skullbomb having an activated ability that puts two Oil counters on a target Artifact or creature. The cost is 1R, but players have to sacrifice Furnace Skullbomb too, which costs one mana of any color to put on the battlefield.
Magmatic Sprinter
Magmatic Sprinter is a solid Uncommon rarity ONE card in Limited that costs three mana to cast. Upon entering the battlefield, it has Haste with a 3/2 body and can put two Oil counters on a target Artifact, creature, or itself. If placed on itself, it remains on the battlefield and the counters are removed. If the Oil counters are placed elsewhere, Magmatic Sprinter returns to its controller’s hand at the beginning of the end step.
Aggro Limited decks can use Magmatic Sprinter as a 3/2 Haste creature that can hit an opponent for combat damage or take out a chump blocker while also spreading that Oil counter love. If it survives, it does cost three mana to recast, but when the counters are placed on an Artifact like Urabrask’s Forge or Migloz, Maze Crusher, the three mana becomes a cost worth investing in.
Churning Reservoir
Churning Reservoir is an Artifact that only costs one Red mana to cast. At the beginning of your upkeep, the Artifact puts an Oil counter on another non-token Artifact or creature you control. Churning Reservoir also has an activated ability of two mana and tapping to create a 1/1 Phyrexian goblin token that can only get activated if an Oil counter was removed from a permanent you control that turn or the permanent was put in the graveyard and had at least one Oil counter on it.
The stipulations for Churning Reservoir’s activated ability are narrow but getting an Oil counter each turn to put on your targets is solid for only one mana, especially in the ONE Limited format.
