Asylum Visitor MTG Card


Optimize hand management with Asylum Visitor to maintain card flow and pressure opponents effectively. Asylum Visitor’s Madness ability enables instant-speed plays, adding a layer of unpredictability. Building a focused black mana base enhances Asylum Visitor’s impact and consistency in matches.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Vampire Wizard
Abilities Madness
Power 3
Toughness 1

Text of card

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, if that player has no cards in hand, you draw a card and you lose 1 life. Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)

"The ravings of the mad are laced with eldritch knowledge."


Cards like Asylum Visitor

Asylum Visitor stands out in the roster of creatures with card advantage abilities in Magic: The Gathering. When comparing it to creatures like Blood Scrivener, it is evident that both thrive in situations where a player’s hand is empty. Asylum Visitor offers an advantage by potentially drawing a card at each upkeep as long as either player is handless, while Blood Scrivener only triggers during its controller’s draw step. Additionally, Asylum Visitor brings a level of flexibility as a 3/1 body with the Madness mechanic, allowing for a more cost-effective play under the right conditions.

Looking at another counterpart, Dark Confidant, we see a creature that consistently offers card advantage at the cost of life equal to the revealed card’s mana cost. Unlike Dark Confidant, Asylum Visitor’s trigger is conditionally tied to an empty hand, which may not be consistent but avoids the life loss risk. Conversely, Phyrexian Arena provides a similar advantage without requiring an empty hand. However, the Arena lacks the aggressive traits of Asylum Visitor, a creature that can actively attack and block.

Taking into account these considerations, Asylum Visitor offers a unique blend of aggressive stats and situational card advantage that can be highly effective in decks designed to exploit the Madness keyword and those built around minimizing hand sizes.

Blood Scrivener - MTG Card versions
Dark Confidant - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Blood Scrivener - MTG Card versions
Dark Confidant - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions

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Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cyclopean Mummy - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Black Knight - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Asylum Visitor. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Mono-Black DiscardMono-Black Discard PioneerMono-Black DiscardPioneer Challenge 32 2024-02-25
Rakdos VampiresRakdos Vampires PioneerRakdos VampiresPeasant Pioneer Showdown - A Josh and Pat's MTG Bazaar Sponsored Event
8-Rack8-Rack Modern8-Rack1 Torneio - 10 Liga Arena Guardians

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Asylum Visitor shines in maintaining card flow, particularly when you or your opponent are running low on resources. This is due to its ability to let you draw an additional card at each upkeep, if anyone’s hand is empty. This continuous draw mechanism can tilt the odds in your favor by replenishing your hand each turn.

Resource Acceleration: While Asylum Visitor itself may not directly provide mana acceleration, its card draw ability could lead you to other cards in your deck that do. Swiftly cycling through your deck increases the chances of accessing the resources necessary to deploy your strategy more rapidly than your opponent can.

Instant Speed: This creature can be brought into play at the end of your opponent’s turn if you have the madness mechanic in action, making it function similarly to an instant. The versatility of its madness cost allows more dynamic play, giving you the upper hand by optimizing your mana usage and catching opponents off-guard during their end phase.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Asylum Visitor’s ability is contingent upon you having no cards in hand, which can present a dilemma during late-game scenarios where maintaining options is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s black mana cost necessitates a solid black mana base, making it less versatile for multi-colored decks or those with a less focused mana pool.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Hypothetically, a 3/1 creature for two mana might seem like a bargain, but when factoring in the card’s full potential tied to an empty hand, it could be a steep price for an ability that’s not always guaranteed to trigger.


Reasons to Include Asylum Visitor in Your Collection

Versatility: Asylum Visitor offers flexibility to players. It’s a solid addition to any deck that thrives on either aggressive strategies or discarding cards. Its ability to draw you a card at each upkeep, provided that you or your opponent have an empty hand, can sustain your resources in a long game.

Combo Potential: This card works remarkably well with decks built around discarding or sacrificing creatures for value. When paired with effects that force players to discard their hand, Asylum Visitor can be a consistent source of card advantage.

Meta-Relevance: As games often involve strategic hand management, Asylum Visitor can be particularly potent. Its capability to punish opponents who empty their hand quickly or play control decks makes it a valuable card in your arsenal, able to exploit certain trends in the meta.


How to beat

Asylum Visitor stands as one of those intriguing MTG cards with the potential to sway the game under the right circumstances. This card has an ability that activates whenever either player’s hand is empty, ultimately rewarding the player with an additional card draw at the start of their upkeep. It thrives in decks designed around discarding, giving a player consistent card advantage.

However, to tackle this card effectively, it’s essential to manage the timing and strategy of your card plays. Playing against a deck containing Asylum Visitor means making sure that card advantage doesn’t lean heavily in your opponent’s favor. A clever strategy is to deny opportunities for activation by maintaining a healthy hand size or utilizing instant-speed removal to dispatch Asylum Visitor before the upkeep trigger. Alternatively, hand disruption cards that force your opponent to discard, thus preventing them from benefiting from an empty hand, can effectively neutralize the Asylum Visitor’s advantage. Containment Priest can also be a potent sideboard card against the Visitor, especially in matchups with graveyard strategies at play.

Understanding the nuances of Asylum Visitor and devising a plan to counteract such cards is essential for any player looking to get ahead in MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

MTG players understand that the devil is in the details, and Asylum Visitor offers nuances that can make or break a match. Whether it’s leveraging card advantage in tight situations or outmaneuvering an opponent through precise timing and strategic discards, this card can provide an edge. Deck synergy is paramount—think about integrating Asylum Visitor with strategies aimed at reducing hand sizes for maximum impact. Recognize the importance of balancing the risks and rewards its abilities bring to the table. Eager for deeper insights and strategies involving dynamic cards like Asylum Visitor? Dive into our repository of knowledge and experiences to enhance your gameplay.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Asylum Visitor MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad Promos and Shadows over Innistrad, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Asylum Visitor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Asylum Visitor Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Bastien L. Deharme.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-04-08Shadows over Innistrad PromosPSOI 99s2015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme
22016-04-08Shadows over InnistradSOI 992015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme
32019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1032015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme
42021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 2862015NormalBlackBastien L. Deharme

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Asylum Visitor has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Asylum Visitor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2016-04-08 A spell cast for its madness cost is put onto the stack like any other spell. It can be countered, copied, and so on. As it resolves, it’s put onto the battlefield if it’s a permanent card or into its owner’s graveyard if it’s an instant or sorcery card.
2016-04-08 Asylum Visitor’s triggered ability checks the active player’s hand as the upkeep begins and as the trigger resolves. If that player has a card in hand as it resolves, you won’t draw a card or lose 1 life. Notably, if you control multiple Asylum Visitors during your upkeep, whichever one’s first ability resolves first will stop the other’s first ability from having any effect unless you have a way to get the card you drew out of your hand before it resolves.
2016-04-08 Cards are discarded in a Magic game only from a player’s hand. Effects that put cards from a player’s library into that player’s graveyard do not cause those cards to be discarded.
2016-04-08 Casting a spell for its madness cost doesn’t change its mana cost or its mana value. You just pay the madness cost instead.
2016-04-08 Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less for its madness cost, too.
2016-04-08 If you choose not to cast a card with madness when the madness triggered ability resolves, it’s put into your graveyard. You don’t get another chance to cast it later.
2016-04-08 If you discard a card with madness to pay the cost of a spell or activated ability, that card’s madness trigger (and the spell that card becomes, if you choose to cast it) will resolve before the spell or ability the discard paid for.
2016-04-08 If you discard a card with madness while resolving a spell or ability, it moves immediately to exile. Continue resolving that spell or ability—the card is not in your graveyard at this time. Its madness trigger will be placed onto the stack once that spell or ability has completely resolved.
2016-04-08 Madness works independently of why you’re discarding the card. You could discard it to pay a cost, because a spell or ability tells you to, or even because you have too many cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You can’t discard a card with madness just because you want to, though.
2016-04-08 On an opponent’s turn, triggered abilities you control will resolve before any triggered abilities of permanents that opponent controls if they trigger at the same time. This means that if you and your opponent each control an Asylum Visitor during your opponent’s upkeep, and they have no cards in hand, you’ll always draw a card before your opponent has a card in their hand.
2016-04-08 The upkeep step is before the draw step, after the untap step. Asylum Visitor’s first ability will trigger and resolve before the active player draws a card in their draw step if that player has no cards in hand.
2016-04-08 When you cast a card with madness, it was still discarded. If it was discarded to pay a cost, that cost is still paid. Abilities that trigger when a card is discarded will still trigger.