Asmodeus the Archfiend MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Devil God
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Activating at instant speed, Asmodeus the Archfiend delivers surprise resource advantages and informed strategic plays.
  2. The card necessitates a balance in strategy due to its discard requirement and specific mana costs.
  3. Incorporating Asmodeus the Archfiend offers versatility and meta-relevance, enhancing your deck’s strategic depth.

Text of card

Binding Contract — If you would draw a card, exile the top card of your library face down instead. : Draw seven cards. : Return all cards exiled with Asmodeus the Archfiend to their owner's hand and you lose that much life.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Asmodeus the Archfiend excels in providing an overwhelming card advantage. His ability to draw seven cards for just one life each has the potential to turn the tide of a game by filling your hand with an arsenal of options.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Asmodeus’s bargain with players allows them to put numerous cards into their hand without spending mana immediately. This can lead to explosive turns later on, when the cards are paid for with life instead.

Instant Speed: One of the key strategic benefits of this card is activating its abilities at instant speed. Players can wait until the end of an opponent’s turn to draw seven cards, which not only surprises the opponent with a sudden swell of resources but also ensures that you’re making the most informed decisions with a full hand of cards.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Asmodeus the Archfiend necessitates a hefty discard cost, compelling players to discard their entire hand which can strategically cripple their game if not executed with caution.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting requirements are stringent, demanding both black and generic mana, thus potentially restricting its synergy to decks heavily favoring the black mana pool.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To summon Asmodeus the Archfiend, a fair amount of mana is needed, which may be challenging to muster promptly, especially when competing with other high-impact cards that require less resource investment.


Reasons to Include Asmodeus the Archfiend in Your Collection

Versatility: Asmodeus the Archfiend offers flexibility in various deck archetypes, particularly those harnessing the power of card draw and demonic synergies. Its ability to exchange life for cards provides a unique engine in formats where card advantage is key.

Combo Potential: This card’s abilities open up numerous combo routes. With the right setup, Asmodeus the Archfiend can fuel strategies focusing on filling the hand, graveyard manipulation, or even an instant win scenario with the right combination of cards.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-shifting nature of MTG, a card like Asmodeus the Archfiend can disrupt opponents by forcing them to deal with an immediate and recurring threat. In metagames where longevity and resilience are crucial, this card’s presence on the battlefield can’t be easily ignored.


How to beat

Asmodeus the Archfiend commands attention in the MTG realm with its formidable ability to draw seven cards for the price of life and a complicated yet rewarding payoff. Overcoming this demon requires strategic finesse, but it’s absolutely feasible. Managing the battlefield by removing creatures can stymie Asmodeus’s effectiveness. Spot removal spells such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider can exile or destroy the Demon before its abilities become relevant, cutting short the card advantage it seeks to offer.

Another successful strategy is to direct damage spells like Lightning Bolt or Shock not just at the creature but at the opponent, keeping their life total low and making the cost of utilizing Asmodeus’s abilities more risky. Additionally, graveyard disruption tools, like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze, can disrupt the delayed card draw ability by removing cards before they’re returned to the opponent’s hand. This can neutralize the threat of a stocked hand.

Remember, while Asmodeus the Archfiend can be an explosive game-changer, like any card in MTG, it can be countered with thoughtful play. A mix of removal, life pressure, and graveyard disturbance forms the crux of turning the tables on this dangerous fiend.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the power of Asmodeus the Archfiend is a nuanced journey for dedicated MTG players. Properly leveraging its advantages in card drawing and hand manipulation can lead to significant turns and surprising victories. However, being aware of its cons is equally essential to prevent potential setbacks during gameplay. Recognizing and preparing for both the strengths and weaknesses of this commanding card can transform your matches into captivating showdowns. To harness Asmodeus the Archfiend to its full potential and explore its impact on various deck types, don’t hesitate to seek out more knowledge as you aim to outmaneuver opponents with skillful play.


Cards like Asmodeus the Archfiend

In the realm of unique MTG demons, Asmodeus the Archfiend stands in its own league. It exhibits similarities with other potent creatures like Rakshasa’s Secret for its hand disruption ability. However, where Asmodeus becomes unparalleled is its potential for massive card draw, given the conditions are met for its banquet of blood ability.

Graveyard-based strategies also bring to mind the mechanic of Underworld Broker. While this creature offers a steady card advantage by exchanging cards in your hand for those in your graveyard, Asmodeus allows for a potentially larger, yet riskier draw. Moreover, the Archfiend is a hefty creature with a significant presence on the battlefield, unlike Underworld Broker’s more modest stat line.

Yet, when considering bulk card access, Blood Scrivener presents itself as another card to compare. Still, it only triggers when you’re drawing with an empty hand, making Asmodeus the go-to for a more controlled and impactful draw. Overall, Asmodeus the Archfiend serves a distinctive role with its draw mechanics and the demon theme, standing prominent amongst its parallels in MTG.

Rakshasa's Secret - MTG Card versions
Blood Scrivener - MTG Card versions
Rakshasa's Secret - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Blood Scrivener - Dragon's Maze (DGM)

Cards similar to Asmodeus the Archfiend by color, type and mana cost

Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Ihsan's Shade - MTG Card versions
Necrosavant - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Lancer - MTG Card versions
Face of Fear - MTG Card versions
Wire Surgeons - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Chittering Harvester - MTG Card versions
Crossway Troublemakers - MTG Card versions
Anurid Murkdiver - MTG Card versions
Gempalm Polluter - MTG Card versions
Nefashu - MTG Card versions
Twisted Abomination - MTG Card versions
Iname, Death Aspect - MTG Card versions
Yawgmoth Demon - MTG Card versions
Ascendant Evincar - MTG Card versions
Bog Hoodlums - MTG Card versions
Helldozer - MTG Card versions
Geth, Lord of the Vault - MTG Card versions
Toxic Nim - MTG Card versions
Nightmare - Arena Beginner Set (ANB)
Ihsan's Shade - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Necrosavant - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Dakmor Lancer - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Face of Fear - Odyssey (ODY)
Wire Surgeons - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Grave Titan - Fallout (PIP)
Chittering Harvester - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Crossway Troublemakers - Crimson Vow Commander (VOC)
Anurid Murkdiver - Onslaught (ONS)
Gempalm Polluter - Legions (LGN)
Nefashu - Scourge (SCG)
Twisted Abomination - Scourge (SCG)
Iname, Death Aspect - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Yawgmoth Demon - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Ascendant Evincar - Tenth Edition (10E)
Bog Hoodlums - Lorwyn (LRW)
Helldozer - Planechase (HOP)
Geth, Lord of the Vault - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Toxic Nim - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Asmodeus the Archfiend MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos, 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 Asmodeus the Archfiend and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Asmodeus the Archfiend Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Aleksi Briclot.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 927042015normalblackAleksi Briclot
22021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 88s2015normalblackAleksi Briclot
32021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 88p2015normalblackAleksi Briclot
42021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 882015normalblackAleksi Briclot
52021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten RealmsAFR 3732015normalblackAleksi Briclot
62021-07-23Adventures in the Forgotten Realms PromosPAFR 88a2015normalblackAleksi Briclot

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Asmodeus the Archfiend 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 Asmodeus the Archfiend card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-07-23 If Asmodeus the Archfiend leaves the battlefield before you activate its last ability, any cards exiled by its replacement effect remain exiled face down for the rest of the game. If you somehow return the same Asmodeus the Archfiend card to the battlefield, it will be a different object with no connection to those face-down cards.
2021-07-23 If a card is exiled face-down and no player has been given permission to look at it, no player is allowed to look at it as long as it remains exiled face-down.
2021-07-23 If your library is empty, no cards will be exiled but you won't lose the game due to drawing from an empty library.

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