Archon of Falling Stars MTG Card

Returns enchantments from graveyard to battlefield, offering a valuable momentum swing in games. Its death trigger can be exploited with instant-speed sacrifice for strategic surprise plays. Investment-heavy white mana cost may limit versatility across multicolored decks.
Archon of Falling Stars - Theros Beyond Death
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Archon
Abilities Flying
Released2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set nameTheros Beyond Death
Set codeTHB
Power 4
Toughness 4
Number2
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byVictor Adame Minguez

Text of card

Flying When Archon of Falling Stars dies, you may return target enchantment card from your graveyard to the battlefield.

"The archon fell like a star from the sky, meeting the rising sun at the horizon's edge." —*The Cosmogony*

Cards like Archon of Falling Stars

Archon of Falling Stars is a celestial presence in the world of Magic: The Gathering that carves its niche within the realm of creatures that provide value upon death. It stands in line with cards like Angel of Serenity, offering a similar battlefield impact by retrieving creatures upon entering or leaving the battlefield. However, Archon’s six-mana cost is specifically tailored to trigger its ability only upon death, contrasting with Angel’s flexibility that can be leveraged both when it enters and exits the game.

In the same orbit, Sun Titan deserves a mention. Both giants have abilities tethered to permanents returning from the graveyard to the battlefield, but Sun Titan has a lower mana cost and a recurring trigger with each attack, offering a more consistent value. While Archon of Falling Stars enables the retrieval of bigger targets, Sun Titan’s concise limitation to low-cost permanents allows for more strategic deck building and rapid value gain, particularly in matches that escalate quickly.

Comparing these celestial entities draws a clear picture of Archon of Falling Stars’ role within the MTG ecosystem as a card that can turn the tide with its death-triggered utility, emboldening strategies that capitalize on sacrificial synergies and graveyard manipulation.

Angel of Serenity - MTG Card versions
Sun Titan - MTG Card versions
Angel of Serenity - MTG Card versions
Sun Titan - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Archon of Falling Stars enters the battlefield or dies, it returns a target enchantment card from your graveyard to the battlefield. This effect not only recoups materials lost but also swings momentum in your favor by reutilizing powerful enchantments.

Resource Acceleration: While Archon of Falling Stars itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it effectively acts as an engine to bring back high-value enchantments that could provide mana boosts or other resource advantages.

Instant Speed: Even though Archon of Falling Stars operates at sorcery speed, it synergizes well with cards that can sacrifice it at instant speed, allowing you to capitalize on its trigger strategically and unexpectedly.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: This card does not inherently require discarding as a mechanic, which doesn’t directly impact your hand’s resources. However, the inability to gain an advantage from discarding might limit strategic synergies with other cards that benefit from discard effects.

Specific Mana Cost: Archon of Falling Stars requires a significant investment in white mana, with a casting cost that includes three white mana symbols. This can restrict its integration into multicolored decks and may not always be feasible in mana bases that cannot consistently generate enough white mana early on.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, the card’s impact on the game may not align with its mana investment. Players may find other creatures or cards with lower mana costs that provide a more immediate impact or better value throughout the game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Archon of Falling Stars can be a strategic fit in a variety of deck builds that utilize graveyard synergies or enchantment-based mechanics. Its ability to return an enchantment from the graveyard to the battlefield upon death makes it an adaptable choice for decks looking to maximize value from their permanent cards.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations that exploit its death trigger. Pairing it with ways to sacrifice it for profit or recur it from the graveyard can create a cycle of returning high-value enchantments, setting up powerful board states and recurring value in enchantment-centric decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where removal spells are abundant, Archon of Falling Stars offers resilience and a way to deter opponents from destroying your creatures. Its six mana cost also aligns with the curve in many midrange strategies that aim to dominate the late game with powerful effects and recurring advantages.

How to beat

The Archon of Falling Stars presents an intriguing challenge on the battlefield with its ability to return an enchantment card from the graveyard to the battlefield upon death. Strategically speaking, it’s paramount to minimize the value that your opponent can extract from this death-triggered ability. One approach to effectively counter this card is employing exile removal spells such as Path to Exile or Oblivion Ring, which remove the creature from the game and sidestep its ability to resurrect enchantments.

Alternatively, cards that neutralize the Archon’s abilities without sending it to the graveyard, such as Pacifism or Frogify, can halt its impact on the game. This method stops the loop of value and keeps enchantments contained in the graveyard. It is also worth considering using instant speed removal in response to the Archon’s death trigger to ensure that any enchantment it targets is not a threat upon its return. Timing and careful control of graveyard interactions are key.

When facing a deck that leverages the Archon of Falling Stars, remember that preventing or mitigating the death trigger is essential. A sound strategy involves managing the Archon’s presence on the field while keeping an eye on graveyard activities to maintain an advantageous position.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Archon of Falling Stars MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Archon of Falling Stars and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Archon of Falling Stars has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Archon of Falling Stars 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 If an Aura is put onto the battlefield without being cast, the Aura’s controller-to-be chooses what it will enchant as it comes back onto the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way doesn’t target anything (so it could be attached to an opponent’s permanent with hexproof, for example), but the Aura’s enchant ability restricts what it can be attached to. If the Aura can’t legally be attached to anything, it remains in its current zone.