1. Contagion Engine
Released in 2010 via the Scars of Mirrodin set, Contagion Engine was one of the first cards to introduce the proliferate mechanic. This set also introduced the Infect mechanic, and along with Proliferate, these two mechanics played off each other and could wipe out players in no time at all.
This card saw one Top 8 Grand Prix finish, and for that and for it being one of the first Proliferate cards that were introduced, it made our list.
This rare artifact card costs six colorless mana to cast, but the rewards are incredible when it drops. When it enters the battlefield, you are able to put -1/-1 counters on each creature your opponent controls. Not only that, but if you pay four colorless mana and tap the card, you are able to Proliferate and then Proliferate again.
Remember that artifacts don’t have summoning sickness, and as such, if you have enough mana, you could essentially rid the board of your opponent with a one-card play.
This card is now legal in Vintage, Modern, Legacy, and Commander.
2. Atraxa, Praetors’ voice
Probably one of the best cards for proliferate is Atraxa. This card has seen no Top 8 finishes for both the Pro Tour and the Grand Prix and was released in 2016 as part of the Commander 2016 set. You may wonder why it is on our list, and that is because it is a no-brainer when it comes to a Commander deck built around the proliferate mechanic.
This legendary creature costs four mana of various colors (one white, one blue, one black, one green). It is a 4/4 Flying Angel Horror that additionally has Vigilance, Deathtouch, Lifelink, and also not forgetting that its active ability is to proliferate at the beginning of your end step.
A well-constructed Commander deck with Atraxa at the forefront and complementing Infect and Proliferate cards make this deck quite annoying when you are sitting opposite to it.
This card is only legal in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
3. Contentious Plan
No list would be complete without having a cheap Sorcery that allows you to Proliferate, and Contentious Plan will enable you to do so. Compared to our previous entries, this is a relatively new card and was released in 2019, and the set from which it came was The War of The Spark.
Surprisingly it saw no Top 8 Grand Prix or Pro Tour finishes, but at the MTGO Sealed WAR Block Event back in 2019, there were multiple decks that ran it, and it demolished the competition, holding many Top 8 placements, including number one.
This common blue sorcery spell costs only two mana (one blue and one colorless) and, besides allowing you to Proliferate, enables you to draw a card. That’s two for the price of one. This card comes in very handy because of its cost and due to the fact that you don’t need to try and set up the board to use it. It’s more of a hit-quick card used to capitalize your opponent.
This card is legal in many formats, including Historic, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, and Pauper.
4. Merfolk Skydiver
Another card coming out of War of The Spark that has Proliferate and can quickly turn the tides of a game is Merfolk Skydiver. Although it has not seen any Pro Tour or Grand Prix finishes, it came in number one at the MTGO Competitive standard League as well as having some top finishes in various other competitions.
This is a multicolored uncommon Flying 1/1 that costs one blue mana and one green mana. Its triggered ability allows you to put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature you control when it enters the battlefield. Furthermore, it has an activated ability that costs five mana which allows you to proliferate.
You may be thinking that this card is kind of average, but due to its cost and because you can have up to four in a deck, if you are able to get two or more out in the early game, your opponent will wonder how in the world you have creatures that are just growing each turn.
This card is legal in most formats except for Standard, Alchemy, and Brawl.
5. Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Yawgmoth is in a similar class to Atraxa, wherein this card has some of the craziest abilities to help you control the board and desecrate your opponent.
Coming from the set of Modern Horizons and being released in 2019, this card has seen its fair share of competitive play, with many top finishes at the Innistrad Championship in 2021.
This is a legendary 2/4 human cleric that costs four mana (two black and two colorless) to play. Its initial ability is excellent from the get-go giving it protection from Humans. Its next ability allows you to put a negative counter on a target creature by sacrificing a creature and paying one life. That might seem a bit steep, but if you have a black deck that focuses around the Regenerate or returned from the graveyard mechanic, you are in business.
After that, its next activated ability only costs two black mana, allowing you to Proliferate while discarding a card. This means that you could effectively put a negative counter on all your opponent’s creatures in one round, and in the next, you could start wiping them from the board.
This fantastic card is legal in most formats except for Standard, Alchemy, Pioneer, Brawl, and Pauper.
6. Unbounded Potential
The last card in our list is an Instant that can turn the tide of a game in a second.
This card is pretty new and was released in 2021 in the Modern Horizons II set. Due to its relatively recent release, this card is yet to see any placements in any significant tournaments.
It is noteworthy to mention that this is a common white instant that has two choices to pick from when you cast the spell. The first option you have is to put a +1/+1 counter on up to two target creatures. Then the next option you have is to Proliferate.
However, if you pay its Entwine cost when you cast it, which costs an additional four mana (one white and three colorless), you have the ability to play both options. Needless to say, because it is an Instant in the heat of battle, this one card has the power to block or trample your opponent, which they would not see coming.
This card is only legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Penny Dreadful, and Pauper.