Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem MTG Card
| Type | Emblem — Zariel |
| Released | 2021-07-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms |
| Set code | AFR |
| Number | 19 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Emblem |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Heonhwa Choe |
Key Takeaways
- Offers card advantage by allowing access to a wider array of options to outmaneuver opponents.
- Facilitates resource acceleration, setting the stage for casting powerful spells sooner.
- Instant-speed utility enhances strategic flexibility and control over the game.
Text of card
At the end of the first combat phase on your turn, untap target creature you control. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem enables an advantageous state by frequently churning through the deck, ensuring that you’re well-equipped with an assortment of options to outpace your opponents.
Resource Acceleration: With this emblem in play, you effectively streamline your gameplay. It leads to a quicker accumulation of the necessary resources required to deploy your most impactful spells earlier than usual, setting you up for a dominant position on the battlefield.
Instant Speed: The immediate impact of having this emblem can’t be overstated. Its ability to alter the game at a moment’s notice without waiting for a sorcery-speed window magnifies your strategic flexibility. This adaptability at instant speed grants you the upper hand, letting you react and control the flow of the game on the fly.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To activate Zariel’s Emblem, you typically need to have an associated planeswalker card already in play, which might force you to discard other valuable cards to protect it or to find it in your deck, reducing your hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Generating an emblem often requires a commitment to specific mana colors to cast the planeswalker itself. For Zariel, this entails having access to both red and other colors, potentially constraining deck-building flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Achieving the emblem from a planeswalker-like Zariel demands not only casting the card but also ensuring it accrues enough loyalty counters. This process can be mana-intensive and slower compared to other strategies that may offer quicker board impact.
Reasons to Include Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem in Your Collection
Versatility: The Zariel emblem offers a level of flexibility seldom seen in other emblems. It can seamlessly integrate into a variety of deck styles, especially those that capitalize on aggressive strategies or need a consistent source of damage output.
Combo Potential: This emblem can complement and enhance combos that benefit from dealing damage to opponents or require a persistent threat on the board. It can serve as the linchpin in a strategy focused on wearing down opponents over time.
Meta-Relevance: With a shifting meta that often prizes quick, decisive moves, the Zariel emblem’s strength in maintaining pressure makes it a formidable inclusion. It aligns well with decks designed to control the tempo and lead the charge in proactive gameplay.
How to beat
The challenge in defeating the Zariel, Archduke of Avernus emblem in Magic: The Gathering is recognizing its potential to swiftly tilt the game. When you’re up against this particular emblem, it’s crucial to have strategies ready to undermine its powerful ability to give creatures haste. This situation calls for swift removal spells which can be cast in response to creatures being deployed, thus preventing them from unleashing immediate attacks.
Running cards that prevent abilities from triggering or that can lock down or remove creatures the moment they hit the battlefield is key. Consider slotting instant-speed removal like “Path to Exile” or “Fatal Push” which operate efficiently in terms of mana cost and effect. Additionally, employing board wipes such as “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” can clear the board before the emblem’s haste effect takes a toll. Having these types of answers ready protects you from getting overwhelmed by the relentless pace that Zariel’s emblem aims to set.
Ultimately, your game plan should revolve around managing the battlefield while being adaptable to quick aggression. Staying one step ahead in card advantage and resource management can ensure you survive the onslaught that the Zariel emblem is known to bring to the table.
Cards like Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem
In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, the Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem enters a niche category of card effects that change the landscape of the battlefield. Much like the emblem, other cards—like the emblem that Elspeth, Sun’s Champion creates—offer a steady stream of creature advantages. However, Elspeth’s emblem delivers a consistent bonus to power and toughness, as well as flying, but doesn’t impact the actual playing of creatures.
Comparing emblems in gameplay, there are also emblems from other planeswalkers like Gideon, Ally of Zendikar, which bolsters your army with an ongoing +1/+1 boost, diversifying the strategic approach a player might take. Each of these emblems, while similar in their permanence and strategic depth they add, differ greatly in how they affect the game state. Zariel’s influence in allowing you to summon creatures with haste can turn the tide by providing an immediate and relentless offensive strategy.
It’s clear that while there are overlapping effects within planeswalker emblems, each one presents a unique advantage, with the Zariel emblem being particularly formidable for aggressive strategies. Its ability to give haste to any creature resonates with MTG players who favor a swift and decisive playstyle.
Cards similar to Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, 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 Zariel, Archduke of Avernus Emblem and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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