Rayami, First of the Fallen MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Vampire |
| Released | 2019-08-23 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Commander 2019 |
| Set code | C19 |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 48 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Kieran Yanner |
Key Takeaways
- Rayami’s ability to accrue keywords offers growing card advantage and a robust strategic presence.
- Though lacking instant speed play, it’s potent at assembling a compounded, ability-rich commander over time.
- Demands tactical deck building with its specific mana costs and creature sacrifice requirement upon entry.
Text of card
If a nontoken creature would die, exile that card with a blood counter on it instead. As long as an exiled creature card with a blood counter on it has flying, Rayami, First of the Fallen has flying. The same is true for first strike, double strike, deathtouch, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, protection, reach, trample, and vigilance.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Rayami, First of the Fallen excels in providing persistent card advantage due to its ability to gain crucial keywords from exiled creatures. Over time, as more creatures get exiled, Rayami becomes a formidable library of abilities, making each draw potentially more impactful as you exploit synergies with your evolving threats on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: While Rayami itself doesn’t directly produce additional resources, its capacity to absorb lifelink from other creatures ensures a form of indirect acceleration by extending your staying power in the game. This enhanced survival might provide the necessary time to deploy other resource acceleration elements in your deck, translating to a long-term advantage.
Instant Speed: Rayami may not be cast at instant speed, but its keyword ability Bloodthirsty Aerialist activates whenever another creature dies, regardless of turn sequence. This allows you to capitalize on the ever-shifting game state by turning each lost creature into an opportunity to enhance Rayami’s battlefield presence instantly, making your opponent’s decisions during their turn all the more crucial and potentially perilous.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Rayami, First of the Fallen demands a sacrifice of another creature when it enters the battlefield. This can sometimes be a costly price to pay, especially when your board presence is already on the weaker side.
Specific Mana Cost: With its demanding mana cost requiring one black, one green, and one blue, Rayami can be difficult to cast in decks that aren’t tailored to a Sultai color combination, potentially limiting its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring four mana to play, Rayami sits at a higher casting cost bracket. In a game where speed can be crucial, there may be other creatures or spells that provide immediate board impact or value at a lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Rayami, First of the Fallen in Your Collection
Versatility: Rayami, First of the Fallen thrives in a diverse set of strategies, serving well in both aggressive and control decks. Its unique ability to gain keywords from other creatures makes it adaptable to numerous board states.
Combo Potential: This vampire’s skillset shines when paired with creatures that possess powerful keywords. Sacrifice enablers or self-mill mechanics can quickly turn it into a formidable threat, utilizing the best traits from creatures across your graveyard.
Meta-Relevance: In metas where death-trigger abilities are common, Rayami performs exceptionally. It disrupts opponents’ strategies by exiling potential threats and simultaneously enhancing its capabilities—an asset against decks that rely on graveyard interactions.
How to beat
Rayami, First of the Fallen emerges as a distinctive force in the creature-heavy dynamics of Magic: The Gathering. This legendary vampire not only siphons abilities from other nontoken creatures as they die, but also presents an indestructible challenge when equipped with its keyword-siphoning arsenal. Unlike a straightforward kill spell, eliminating Rayami demands a tailored strategy.
Commanding games with its ability to become a powerhouse, Rayami requires opponents to shift their tactics. Board wipes that don’t destroy, such as Settle the Wreckage or Merciless Eviction, can manage this threat effectively by skirting around its ability-stealing feature. Additionally, utilizing exile effects or bounce spells to reset its accumulated advantages can be key in regaining the upper hand. Spells like Path to Exile or Unsummon pave the way for more traditional removal to take place thereafter.
To sum up, overcoming Rayami, First of the Fallen involves creative maneuvering and non-destructive removals. Countering this MTG card means having the right answers at the right time, proving that flexibility and adaptation are central to securing victory against such a resilient adversary.
Cards like Rayami, First of the Fallen
Rayami, First of the Fallen emerges as a unique entity in the vast array of Magic: The Gathering commanders. There’s a clear parallel with Lazav, the Multifarious. Both transform based on other creatures’ abilities in the graveyard. Nonetheless, Rayami stands out by requiring blood counters for the absorption of abilities, whereas Lazav directly becomes a copy of a creature card with no counters involved.
Another card that echoes the mechanics of Rayami is The Mimeoplasm, which not only takes abilities from creatures in graveyards but also the power and toughness, blending the traits to become a more formidable threat. Unlike Rayami, The Mimeoplasm combines characteristics immediately, without needing the blood counter maintenance.
Exploring these comparisons further, Rayami, First of the Fallen has an edge in terms of its static ability to gain indestructible, further solidifying its role as a hard-to-remove commander able to benefit from a wide range of abilities. This combination of durability and adaptability makes Rayami a strategic and resilient choice for players crafting a deck with a focus on longevity and creature-based synergies.
Cards similar to Rayami, First of the Fallen by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Rayami, First of the Fallen MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2019, 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 Rayami, First of the Fallen 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Rayami, First of the Fallen has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rayami, First of the Fallen card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-08-23 | If a nontoken creature that isn’t normally a creature (such as a Vehicle) would die, Rayami exiles it with a blood counter on it, although Rayami won’t gain any of its abilities. |
| 2019-08-23 | If an exiled creature card has one of the listed keywords only if certain conditions are met, the ability granting that keyword doesn’t apply while the card is in exile. Rayami won’t gain that ability from that card. |
| 2019-08-23 | If an exiled creature card has one or more variants of the listed keywords (for example, protection from black or hexproof from white), Rayami gains those specific variants. |
| 2019-08-23 | If multiple replacement effects try to change where a dying creature would go, the controller of the creature chooses one to apply. If Rayami’s effect doesn’t exile the creature, it won’t have a blood counter on it, even if another effect exiles it. Keep in mind that the effect that allows a player to spare their commander from death is a replacement effect. |
| 2019-08-23 | Nontoken creatures that would die at the same time that Rayami leaves the battlefield are exiled with blood counters. |
| 2019-08-23 | Rayami looks at all exiled creature cards with blood counters, not only those exiled with its ability. It even looks at those exiled by an ability of another player’s Rayami, First of the Fallen. |
Guide to Vigilance card ability
In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.