Zellix, Sanity Flayer

Gameplan

Zellix turns self-mill (and opponent mill) into a token army: every time a creature card hits a graveyard from milling, you get a 1/1 Horror. You mill yourself with cheap value engines, flood the board with Horrors, then convert them into damage, sacrifice fodder, or combo fuel. Pick a Background to splash a second color and unlock payoffs Zellix alone can't reach.

Key Cards

• Altar of Dementia — Sacrifices Horrors to mill yourself, which mills creatures to make more Horrors—an infinite loop with the right enablers.
• Sidisi, Brood Tyrant — Backup mill engine that also rewards creature mill, doubling down on Zellix's plan in Sultai.
• Mesmeric Orb — Repeatedly mills everyone, triggering Zellix constantly across the table.
• Hedron Crab — Cheap, repeatable self-mill on landfall that reliably bins creatures for tokens.
• Ashnod's Altar — Free sacrifice outlet turning Horrors into mana, fueling combo and reanimation lines.
• Tasha's Hideous Laughter — Massive single-shot mill that floods the board with Horrors from one cast.

Upgrade Path

Commit to a Background that gives you payoffs—Sophina/Disa or a black Background for aristocrats and removal—and build toward an infinite combo with Altar of Dementia plus a reanimation or recursion piece. Add efficient self-mill (Hedron Crab, Stitcher's Supplier, Mesmeric Orb), drain outlets (Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat), and a token finisher like Pitiless Plunderer for mana loops. Round out with fast mana and graveyard recursion to protect against hate and ensure your engine never stalls.