Embodiment of Agonies MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Demon
Abilities	Deathtouch,Flying
Released	2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2020
Set code	M20
Power	0
Toughness	0
Number	98
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Igor Kieryluk

Key Takeaways

Empowers itself through graveyard diversity, becoming a bigger threat with more varied mana costs.
Induces opponents to overuse resources, offering a form of resource acceleration.
Has synergy with instant speed spells, filling the graveyard for a pre-combat boost.

Text of card

Flying, deathtouch Embodiment of Agonies enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each different mana cost among nonland cards in your graveyard. (For example, and are different mana costs.)

"I feel your pain. It's exquisite."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Embodiment of Agonies rewards players who diversify their mana costs among spells in their graveyard. With its unique ability to gain a +1/+1 counter for each different mana cost among cards in your graveyard, it can quickly become a formidable threat on the board, potentially providing significant card advantage over your opponent who might struggle to handle an ever-growing creature.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly influencing mana resources, the strength of Embodiment of Agonies often pressures opponents to use more resources to deal with it. This indirect form of resource acceleration can put you ahead as your opponent expends extra removal spells or takes unfavorable trades to ward off the threat posed by your creature.

Instant Speed: While Embodiment of Agonies itself is not an instant, its ability to benefit from instant speed interactions is notable. Casting instants before your main phase enables you to strategically fill your graveyard, thus boosting the power and toughness of Embodiment of Agonies just before it takes the field. This synergy can catch adversaries off guard, making Embodiment of Agonies a dynamic asset in decks that operate on both sorcery and instant timings.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To leverage Embodiment of Agonies’ full potential, players need to focus on self-mill strategies or have a large graveyard. Without an ample graveyard, its power and toughness could be insufficient for its cost.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting this creature requires a balance of both black and generic mana. In multicolor decks, this might create a tough scenario, especially early in the game where mana flexibility is key to efficient play.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Embodiment of Agonies comes with a mana value of three, which is significant for a card that needs a well-stocked graveyard to be impactful. Players might find themselves in a spot where they cannot afford both to develop their board and deploy this card effectively.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Embodiment of Agonies is a dynamic choice for your deck as it gains power and toughness for each different mana cost among cards in your graveyard, making it a strong late-game play in varied decks.

Combo Potential: This creature thrives in a set up with diverse spells, as it leverages your graveyard’s contents for growth. Decks that focus on self-mill or varied casting costs can turn this card into a formidable threat.

Meta-Relevance: In games where graveyard strategies are prevalent, Embodiment of Agonies can be a game-changer, potentially shifting the balance in power mid to late game by becoming a lethal force on the battlefield.

How to beat

Embodiment of Agonies is a unique creature card in MTG, boasting a power and toughness that are determined by the diversity of mana costs among cards in your graveyard. This Death Elemental can pose a serious threat if not addressed swiftly. To effectively counter it, one must focus on preemptive graveyard disruption. Cards like Scavenging Ooze excel in consuming key cards from the graveyard, weakening Embodiment of Agonies before it hits the battlefield.

Alternatively, keeping exile effects on hand can be invaluable. Responding with a Path to Exile or similar exile-based removal ensures that not only is the creature dealt with, but also that it doesn’t return from the graveyard—a key consideration when facing any deck utilizing Embodiment of Agonies. Efficient removal spells are generally your best strategy against this card, so prioritize accessibility to such answers in your deck building.

Ultimately, recognizing the imminent threat of a wide variety of mana costs in your opponent’s graveyard can guide you to disrupt their strategy before Embodiment of Agonies becomes an overwhelming presence on the battlefield.

Cards like Embodiment of Agonies

Embodiment of Agonies carves a unique niche among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest kin might be viewed in Tarmogoyf, which also benefits from the variety of card types in a graveyard, growing in power and toughness. Yet, Tarmogoyf lacks the flying attribute, rendering Embodiment of Agonies a more evasive and potentially game-ending threat.

Another comparable card is Soulflayer, which can become a formidable force if delving the right combination of creature cards from your graveyard. Soulflayer might gain flying, deathtouch, or even hexproof, but unlike Embodiment of Agonies, its base power and toughness are not affected by the number of different mana costs among cards in the graveyard. Embodiment of Agonies demands a more diverse and strategic deck build to optimize its impact on the battlefield.

Ultimately, Embodiment of Agonies invites a deck-building challenge that rewards players for a carefully curated graveyard, placing it in a distinctive position among creatures that play off graveyard synergies. Its potential to become a massive threat on the board gives it a compelling edge in the right deck configuration.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Embodiment of Agonies MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Embodiment of Agonies and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	Alternative costs, additional costs you could pay, cost increases, and cost reductions are all ignored by Embodiment of Agonies.
2019-07-12	Embodiment of Agonies checks the mana symbols in a card’s mana cost. For example, a mana cost of is different than a mana cost of .
2019-07-12	Every Magic card has either no mana cost or exactly one mana cost. A card with no mana cost is never counted by Embodiment of Agonies. A card with a mana cost of is counted.
2019-07-12	Hybrid mana symbols are treated as the actual symbols, not as either of their two components individually. For example, {B/R}, , and are three different mana costs.
2019-07-12	If you return Embodiment of Agonies from your graveyard to the battlefield, its last ability counts itself.
2019-07-12	The mana cost of a split card is determined by its two halves combined. For example, the mana cost of Fire//Ice in your graveyard is , the same as the mana cost of Ral’s Outburst.