Aphemia, the Cacophony MTG Card

Aphemia turns past enchantment plays into potent, present board threats at the cost of one graveyard card. Her ability to create tokens without extra mana can swiftly tip the scales of a game in your favor. Aphemia’s effect at each upkeep keeps opponents on their toes, potentially disrupting their attack strategy.

Aphemia, the Cacophony - Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)

Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)
2020-01-24 - Number 84s

Aphemia, the Cacophony - Theros Beyond Death (THB)

Theros Beyond Death (THB)
2020-01-24 - Number 84

Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB)
2020-01-24 - Number 84p

Theros Beyond Death (THB)
2020-01-24 - Number 311

Aphemia, the Cacophony - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Magic Online Promos (PRM)
2002-06-24 - Number 79881

Card sets	Released in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Enchantment Creature — Harpy
Abilities	Flying
Power	2
Toughness	1

Text of card

Flying At the beginning of your end step, you may exile an enchantment card from your graveyard. If you do, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.

"Sing, beauty. Sing for death, and for the dead." —Ashiok

Cards like Aphemia, the Cacophony

Aphemia, the Cacophony stands out in the realm of graveyard-interacting creatures within Magic: The Gathering. This enchantment creature echoes the functionalities of popular cards like Nighthowler, which also capitalizes on graveyards for power boosts. But, Aphemia offers a unique twist – it creates 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens instead, enhancing your board presence with each enchantment card in your graveyard at the beginning of your upkeep.

Delving further into comparisons, we find Tymaret Calls the Dead, another card adept at leveraging graveyard synergies. While not directly increasing power or creating creature tokens, this saga provides incremental value, milling cards, and peering into graveyards to set up future plays. Tymaret’s final lore counter also generates Zombie creature tokens, showcasing a thematic link to Aphemia’s token generation ability.

Examining the nuances of each card, Aphemia, the Cacophony finds its niche among graveyard-themed decks and enchantment-heavy strategies. Its recurring token generation can be a powerful engine in the right deck, especially when combined with other enchantment synergies, elevating its status among similar cards in the Magic: The Gathering card pool.

Tymaret Calls the Dead - MTG Card versions

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Decks using this card

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

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Abzan Midrange	Gladiator		Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 10 2024

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Aphemia, the Cacophony, every turn starts with the potential for advantage. As you begin your upkeep, you are poised to create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token if you have an enchantment card in your graveyard. This translates into consistent pressure on the board and valuable card advantage as you convert past plays into future threats.

Resource Acceleration: Aphemia’s ability doesn’t simply generate a creature; it transforms enchantments into actual board presence without spending additional mana. This mechanic streamlines your strategy and can accelerate your game plan by effectively making use of resources that aren’t active in play, giving you more leverage to deploy other cards in your hand.

Instant Speed: While Aphemia herself operates at sorcery speed, the tokens she creates can be a surprise blocker in your next defense phase. Having the ability to create a creature at the beginning of each of your upkeeps means keeping opponents guessing and can result in beneficial blocks when they least expect it. Additionally, considering the range of instant-speed enchantments in the MTG universe, Aphemia can synergize with these to create unexpected turns of play.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aphemia, the Cacophony demands exile of a creature card from your graveyard to fabricate a token. This necessity can potentially deplete your graveyard resources, hindering strategies that rely on graveyard synergies.

Specific Mana Cost: Locked into a black mana cost, Aphemia may not slide effortlessly into multi-colored decks. Players must ensure a consistent source of black mana to deploy Aphemia effectively, which could constrain deck-building options.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its power level, Aphemia’s mana cost is on the higher side when you’re looking for an early game impact. In a fast-paced game, the efficiency of the initial investment versus the return might not line up with some competitive deck strategies where every mana point counts.

Reasons to Include Aphemia, the Cacophony in Your Collection

Versatility: Aphemia, the Cacophony offers a unique flexible role in decks that capitalize on the graveyard. This card is a solid inclusion in enchantment-centric builds, as well as in those that cycle through their own library quickly, rewarding you with a steady stream of Zombie tokens.

Combo Potential: Aphemia excels when paired with cards that fill the graveyard with enchantments, such as self-mill strategies or cards like Satyr Wayfinder. Maximizing the number of enchantments that hit the bin each turn ramps up the Zombie production, turning your graveyard into a formidable army.

Meta-Relevance: In games that see a prevalence of enchantment use, whether they are auras or enchantment creatures, Aphemia becomes increasingly potent. Her ability to exploit the graveyard provides continuous value in a match, making her especially useful in an environment where enchantments frequently end up in the graveyard.

How to beat

Aphemia, the Cacophony, with her ability to capitalize on enchantment cards in the graveyard, can become quite the formidable threat in a Magic: The Gathering match. To effectively counter her, it is essential to manage your graveyard and limit her potential to create zombie tokens. Graveyard hate cards are your allies here; consider adding cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void to your deck. These have the power to exile cards from graveyards, negating Aphemia’s advantage.

Furthermore, spot removal spells are incredibly efficient against Aphemia. Casting a Murder or Doom Blade as soon as she hits the board will neutralize her before she can begin to generate value. If you’re looking for something with broader utility, enchantment removal like Disenchant or Mortify can serve dual purposes, handling both Aphemia and other threatening enchantments that may be aiding your opponent’s game plan.

Remember, minimizing the number of enchantments that go to the graveyard and being prepared with targeted removal should she land can significantly diminish her impact, leaving your opponent singing a less triumphant tune.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aphemia, the Cacophony MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros Beyond Death 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 Aphemia, the Cacophony and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Aphemia, the Cacophony Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by Lucas Graciano.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	~~2002-06-24~~	Magic Online Promos	PRM	79881	2015	Normal	Black	Lucas Graciano
2	2020-01-24	Theros Beyond Death Promos	PTHB	84s	2015	Normal	Black	Lucas Graciano
3	2020-01-24	Theros Beyond Death	THB	84	2015	Normal	Black	Lucas Graciano
4	2020-01-24	Theros Beyond Death Promos	PTHB	84p	2015	Normal	Black	Lucas Graciano
5	2020-01-24	Theros Beyond Death	THB	311	2015	Normal	Black	Lucas Graciano

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aphemia, the Cacophony has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2020-01-24	While resolving Aphemia’s triggered ability, you can’t exile more than one enchantment card to get more than one Zombie token.
2020-01-24	You choose whether to exile an enchantment card and which one to exile while Aphemia’s triggered ability is resolving. If Aphemia dies in response to its own triggered ability, it could be the card you exile.