<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xavier Sal, Infested Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Xavier Sal, Infested Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://bryansola.com/">Bryan Sola</a></em></p>
<p>Infested? I thought you said invested!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="All That Glitters"></div></div>
<p>Welcome once again to <em>Fire and Ice</em>! This is the data-driven series where I go over cards that are becoming more or less popular for different Commander decks, and talk about why they may be gaining or losing popularity. I'm Julia, EDHREC's Duchess of Data, and I'm super excited to jump into today's article!</p>
<p>EDHREC, of course, has a ton of data. We'll draw conclusions from that data about how certain commanders' decks have changed over time, give insight in about new cards, and hopefully provide some tech for your favorite commander's list.</p>
<p>Today, we're focusing on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xavier Sal, Infested Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Xavier Sal, Infested Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. He's a three-mana commander that melds counters, tokens, and aristocrats together in one neat package. He does a lot for just three mana and currently sits as the 322nd most popular commander on EDHREC, with 7,831 decks to his name. Let's see what puts the wind in this Pirate's sails!</p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Xavier Sal, Infested Captain" href="#" target="_blank">Xavier Sal, Infested Captain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div id="attachment_189015" style="width: 999px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-23.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-189015" class="size-full wp-image-189015" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-23.png" alt="What's Hot and What's Not for Xavier Sal, Infested Captain?" width="989" height="550" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-23.png 989w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-23-300x167.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/newplot-23-768x427.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 989px) 100vw, 989px" /></a><p id="caption-attachment-189015" class="wp-caption-text">What's Hot and What's Not for Xavier Sal, Infested Captain?</p></div>
<p>For <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, Xavier is a 3/3 Human Fungus Pirate (one of the coolest type lines in all of <em>Magic</em>). We can <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> him and remove a counter from one of our permanents to populate, or <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-tap" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> him and sacrifice a creature to proliferate. He turns creatures into counters and counters into creatures!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Xavier Sal, Infested Captain"></div></div>
<p>This commander's Sultai color identity provides him with access to some of the best counter production and death trigger synergies in the game. We've got classics like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hardened Scales" href="#" target="_blank">Hardened Scales</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Blood Artist" href="#" target="_blank">Blood Artist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, with a very deep card pool to back up those staples.</p>
<p>Among Xavier Sal's most popular cards are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kiora&#039;s Follower" href="#" target="_blank">Kiora&#039;s Follower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (in 53% of lists to untap our commander), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Doubling Season" href="#" target="_blank">Doubling Season</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (in 34% of decks to bolster both halves of our game plan), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler" href="#" target="_blank">Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (in 42% of decks for all the utility he provides).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kiora&#039;s Follower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Doubling Season"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler"></div></div>
<h2>What's Fiery for Xavier Sal Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pensive Professor" href="#" target="_blank">Pensive Professor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 12.40</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Pensive Professor"></div></div>
<p>This creature is a fantastic fit for any <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>-based counter deck. In this deck, we'll be proliferating constantly. Sometimes, we'll be placing three or four counters on this creature per turn, just using our commander's abilities! This three-drop is a fantastic card draw engine that rewards us for playing the game as we were already planning to, and its high Fire Score is not shocking in the slightest.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expansion Algorithm" href="#" target="_blank">Expansion Algorithm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 8.17</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expansion Algorithm"></div></div>
<p>Whether we're placing loyalty counters on planeswalkers, storage counters on lands, or plain old +1/+1 counters on creatures, proliferating is one of our deck's primary objectives.</p>
<p>Paying <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-x" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> to proliferate X times is a great rate. Given the <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> in our commander's color identity, we'll have no problem making enough mana to pump into this spell's casting cost. If we manage to proliferate a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyre Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Gyre Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Whispered Hopes" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Whispered Hopes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> with this spell, we're on the fast track to victory.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Echocasting Symposium" href="#" target="_blank">Echocasting Symposium</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 7.36</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Echocasting Symposium"></div></div>
<p>We look now towards the token-centric half of our deck. This six-mana spell lets us turn any creature we control into a token that we can then populate. This enables some crazy strong play patterns. Imagine making multiple copies of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dreamtide Whale" href="#" target="_blank">Dreamtide Whale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tendershoot Dryad" href="#" target="_blank">Tendershoot Dryad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>! Our opponents will be dead in no time.</p>
<p><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> is admittedly a lot to ask to make just one token upon initial cast, so this spell is best slotted into decks that can control the board and take it slow.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Germination Practicum" href="#" target="_blank">Germination Practicum</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 5.77</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Germination Practicum"></div></div>
<p>This spell can provide us with dozens of power and toughness each turn. If we've got just five creatures on board, we'll be gaining 10 points of beef each turn! That's enough to take some serious chunks out of our opponents' life totals, while giving our commander enough fuel to populate over and over again.</p>
<p>Much like Echocasting Symposium before it, this Paradigm spell has a high mana cost for the effect it provides. It's worth it, though; these spells provide us with some much-needed inevitability.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Berta, Wise Extrapolator" href="#" target="_blank">Berta, Wise Extrapolator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 4.87</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Berta, Wise Extrapolator"></div></div>
<p>We can cast this Frog Druid the turn after Xavier Sal, and it'll start making us mana right away. I'll admit that I'm surprised that this creature doesn't have any "once per turn" restriction built in, especially considering the fact that Berta can gain +1/+1 counters from her increment ability.</p>
<p>Berta also makes Fractal tokens, which is a good mana sink if we're desperate. These tokens can't be populated by our commander well, but we can use them as sacrifice fodder to proliferate!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Applied Geometry" href="#" target="_blank">Applied Geometry</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Fire Score of 4.07</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Applied Geometry"></div></div>
<p>We can't populate the token copy that Applied Geometry creates, as it's a 0/0 that'll die upon entering the battlefield. But, paying four mana for a 6/6 version of any creature that we've got on the field is not a bad rate at all.</p>
<p>Plus, because this cloned creature enters with +1/+1 counters on it, the clone will benefit from effects like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutational Advantage" href="#" target="_blank">Mutational Advantage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deepglow Skate" href="#" target="_blank">Deepglow Skate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>!</p>
<h2>What's Icy for Xavier Sal Decks?</h2>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrummingbird" href="#" target="_blank">Thrummingbird</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -4.02</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrummingbird"></div></div>
<p>Ideally, we cast this Bird on turn two, cast our commander on turn three, and it's off to the races with a neat little value engine online. But if we don't have any counters available to proliferate on turn three or four, Thrummingbird can fall a bit flat. It may feel just a bit too slow for some pilots' tastes.</p>
<p>As I see it, this creature can still be worth including. It can provide us with a steady stream of counters turn after turn, even if it may not shine in the early game.</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tezzeret&#039;s Gambit" href="#" target="_blank">Tezzeret&#039;s Gambit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -3.81</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tezzeret&#039;s Gambit"></div></div>
<p>This card, on the other hand, I understand removing from your list. Yes, three mana is a good rate to draw two cards, but this spell must be cast at sorcery speed and only provides a small burst of card draw. Those are some significant drawbacks, even if Tezzeret's Gambit is technically on-theme for this list.</p>
<p>If I'm going to play a three-mana way to draw cards, I'd rather include Pensive Professor!</p>
<h3><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atomize" href="#" target="_blank">Atomize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> - Ice Score of -3.34</h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atomize"></div></div>
<p>In Commander, removal needs to be mana-efficient. It's difficult to justify holding up more than one or two mana to answer a threat these days, especially when there are so many powerful cards that players want to cast on their own turns.</p>
<p>Yes, Atomize is in line with our game plan. Yes, it'll add a few counters to our board. But sometimes we just won't be able to cast this spell because it costs a whole four mana. 99% of the time, I'd rather have <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assassin&#039;s Trophy" href="#" target="_blank">Assassin&#039;s Trophy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in my deck. It's significantly easier to cast, and has most of the same end result. Thematic removal spells are neat in <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets">Bracket 2 and 3</a>, but they become much less cute as we optimize decks more thoroughly.</p>
<h2>What's in a Xavier Sal, Infested Captain Deck?</h2>
<p>Here's a list for this commander that has all of his Fiery cards included and all of his Icy cards excluded.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Pirates on a Boat" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Xavier Sal, Infested Captain
[/Commander]
[Artifacts]
*1 Arcane Signet
*1 Astral Cornucopia
*1 Everflowing Chalice
*1 Ichormoon Gauntlet
*1 Replicating Ring
*1 Sol Ring
*1 Swiftfoot Boots
[/Artifacts]
[Creatures]
*1 Adrix and Nev, Twincasters
*1 Basking Broodscale
*1 Berta, Wise Extrapolator
*1 Birds of Paradise
*1 Cankerbloom
*1 Deepglow Skate
*1 Dreamtide Whale
*1 Evolution Sage
*1 Evolution Witness
*1 Ezuri, Stalker of Spheres
*1 Fathom Mage
*1 Flux Channeler
*1 Kiora&#039;s Follower
*1 Marvin, Murderous Mimic
*1 Master Biomancer
*1 Mycoloth
*1 O&#039;aka, Traveling Merchant
*1 Pensive Professor
*1 Reef Worm
*1 Scurry Oak
*1 Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus
*1 Tendershoot Dryad
*1 Thallid
*1 Utopia Mycon
*1 Winding Constrictor
[/Creatures]
[Enchantments]
*1 Binding the Old Gods
*1 City of Death
*1 Doubling Season
*1 Freed from the Real
*1 Inexorable Tide
*1 Innkeeper&#039;s Talent
*1 Intruder Alarm
*1 Kiora Bests the Sea God
*1 Mystic Remora
[/Enchantments]
[Instants]
*1 Assassin&#039;s Trophy
*1 Beast Within
*1 Counterspell
*1 Experimental Augury
*1 Heroic Intervention
*1 Mutational Advantage
*1 Ripples of Potential
[/Instants]
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Garruk, Cursed Huntsman
*1 Kiora, Master of the Depths
*1 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
*1 Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler
*1 Vraska, Betrayal&#039;s Sting
[/Planeswalkers]
[Sorceries]
*1 Applied Geometry
*1 Cultivate
*1 Echocasting Symposium
*1 Expansion Algorithm
*1 Farseek
*1 Germination Practicum
*1 Kodama&#039;s Reach
*1 Nature&#039;s Lore
*1 Rampant Growth
*1 Three Visits
*1 Unnatural Restoration
[/Sorceries]
[Lands]
*1 Breeding Pool
*1 Command Tower
*1 Dreamroot Cascade
*1 Drowned Catacomb
*1 Exotic Orchard
*7 Forest
*1 Hinterland Harbor
*5 Island
*1 Karn&#039;s Bastion
*1 Llanowar Wastes
*1 Morphic Pool
*1 Nesting Grounds
*1 Opulent Palace
*1 Overgrown Tomb
*1 Rejuvenating Springs
*1 Sunken Hollow
*4 Swamp
*1 Undergrowth Stadium
*1 Watery Grave
*1 Woodland Cemetery
*1 Yavimaya Coast
*1 Zagoth Triome
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>This commander has always intrigued me. It's part of a few <a href="https://commanderspellbook.com/search/?q=xavier%20sal">really interesting game-ending combos over on Commander Spellbook</a> and combines two disparate strategies gracefully, but I don't feel that it leans hard enough into any one theme.</p>
<p>Xavier Sal does it all, but doesn't do any one thing particularly well. He's certainly neat, but not necessarily as adept as other Sultai commanders are at creating tokens, creating counters, or sacrificing creatures.</p>
<p>Have you built a deck around this Human Fungus Pirate? If so, what drew you to him? Let me know in the comments, and I'll be back soon with another <em>Fire and Ice</em>!</p>


pensive professor

Xavier Sal, Infested Captain | Fire and Ice