Fiend Artisan MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 2 |
Rarity | Mythic |
Type | Creature — Nightmare |
Power | 1 |
Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Fiend Artisan gets +1/+1 for each creature card in your graveyard. {B/G}, , Sacrifice another creature: Search your library for a creature card with mana value X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle. Activate only as a sorcery.
Cards like Fiend Artisan
Fiend Artisan, a unique powerhouse in the world of Magic: The Gathering, draws parallels to several other notable creatures. One such comparison is with Birthing Pod, a card renowned for its creature tutoring ability. Although Birthing Pod has a recurring activation cost that doesn’t involve sacrificing a creature, Fiend Artisan gains strength and toughness with every creature in your graveyard, becoming a considerable threat itself.
Another card that shares similarities with Fiend Artisan is Varolz, the Scar-Striped. Both cards flourish in the graveyard-centric strategy, though Varolz focuses on scavenging and thus provides a different approach to leveraging the creatures in the yard. While Fiend Artisan’s ability allows you to search for any creature in your deck, Varolz’s mechanics hinge on the creatures already in your graveyard.
It’s important to acknowledge the blend of tutor and power that Fiend Artisan offers, establishing it as a versatile and strategic creature in MTG decks emphasizing graveyard synergies. As such, Fiend Artisan is not just a component of your deck but can evolve into a game-ending force based on the deck’s built mechanics and graveyard utilizations.
Cards similar to Fiend Artisan by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Fiend Artisan. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
# | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bant Vannifar | Pioneer | Bant Vannifar | Pioneer Preliminary 2024-05-07 | |
Maverick | Legacy | Maverick | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-20 (1) | |
Elves | Legacy | Elves | Legacy League 2024-05-06 | |
Cradle Control | Legacy | Cradle Control | Legacy Challenge 32 2024-04-20 (1) | |
Golgari Toolbox | Pioneer | Golgari Toolbox | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-05 | |
BG | Pioneer | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-03 | ||
Devoted Combo | Modern | Devoted Combo | Modern League 2024-04-22 | |
Abzan Amalia Combo | Pioneer | Abzan Amalia Combo | Pioneer Challenge 32 2024-04-28 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Fiend Artisan’s ability to tutor creatures directly onto the battlefield bypasses the need to draw them, ensuring your hand remains full while you deploy key pieces straight to the action.
Resource Acceleration: By leveraging the creatures you already have in your graveyard, Fiend Artisan turns otherwise spent resources into powerful game pieces, accelerating your board presence without depleting other resources.
Instant Speed: Fiend Artisan’s activation at instant speed means you maintain full flexibility, able to adapt your strategy dynamically in response to opponents’ moves by summoning the perfect creature in a pinch.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For Fiend Artisan to truly shine, it requires a steady stream of creatures to fuel its ability. The need to constantly discard creature cards can become a burden if your hand or battlefield presence is already limited.
Specific Mana Cost: While hybrid mana offers flexibility, Fiend Artisan’s need for either black or green mana can restrict its insertion into more varied multicolor decks. This makes it less universal when deck building outside of Golgari themes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Deploying Fiend Artisan’s ability has a starting activation cost, scaling with each creature search. As the power level of the creature you wish to search increases, so does the mana you’ll need to invest. In fast-paced games, this can leave you trailing when your mana could be spent on direct threats or more immediate answers.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Fiend Artisan’s ability to scale its power and toughness based on the creatures in your graveyard allows it to thrive in a variety of deck types, particularly those focused on graveyard strategies or creature-heavy builds.
Combo Potential: Its capability to tutor creatures directly onto the battlefield lends itself to numerous combo setups, enabling crafty players to fetch key pieces for winning the game or generating value with enter-the-battlefield effects.
Meta-Relevance: With constantly shifting metas, Fiend Artisan remains a potent tool against creature-light control decks and can also hold its own in creature-dense match-ups, making it a resilient choice in various competitive environments.
How to beat
Fiend Artisan, a powerhouse creature in Magic the Gathering, merges growing threat with toolbox versatility. This unique hybrid of Tarmogoyf and Birthing Pod often leaves opponents scrambling to find an effective countermeasure. Understanding how to neutralize its growing power and utility is crucial for any strategic player.
Addressing Fiend Artisan’s strengths requires a multi-pronged approach. First, consider the value of graveyard hate. With cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, you systematically strip away the fuel that powers Fiend Artisan’s size. Efficient removal spells, especially those that exile, are critical—Swords to Plowshares, for instance, deals with the Artisan before it can affect the board state significantly.
Similarly, utilizing versatile counterspells or proactive creature elimination strategies can prevent Fiend Artisan from ever taking hold of the game. In a pinch, edict effects that force a player to sacrifice a creature circumvent Fiend Artisan’s often troublesome size and abilities. By ensuring you have these tools in your MTG arsenal, Fiend Artisan’s threat is significantly minimized, maintaining the pace and control of the match in your favor.
BurnMana Recommendations
MTG players seeking to optimize their gameplay should take note of the captivating capabilities of Fiend Artisan. This card dominates by transforming graveyard resources into on-the-battlefield advantages, propelling your strategy forward with its creature-tutoring dexterity. Embrace the challenge of mastering its resourceful prowess and incorporate it into graveyard-centric decks for a substantial power boost. If the articulate dance of strategy, resource management, and tactical advancements in Magic the Gathering intrigues you, don’t let the opportunity to harness Fiend Artisan’s potential slip by. Peruse our detailed insights and strategic guidance to refine your deck’s performance and navigate the metagame with confidence.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Fiend Artisan MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths 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 Fiend Artisan and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Fiend Artisan Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-04-24 and 2020-04-24. Illustrated by Yigit Koroglu.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 80855 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yigit Koroglu | ||
2 | 2020-04-24 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Promos | PIKO | 220p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yigit Koroglu | |
3 | 2020-04-24 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths | IKO | 350 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yigit Koroglu | |
4 | 2020-04-24 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Promos | PIKO | 220s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yigit Koroglu | |
5 | 2020-04-24 | Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths | IKO | 220 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yigit Koroglu |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Fiend Artisan has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Historicbrawl | Legal |
Commander | Legal |
Historic | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Explorer | Legal |
Gladiator | Legal |
Pioneer | Legal |
Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Fiend Artisan card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2020-04-17 | Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Fiend Artisan may become lethal if creature cards leave your graveyard during that turn. |
2020-04-17 | Fiend Artisan’s first ability applies only while it’s on the battlefield. |
2020-04-17 | If a card in a player’s library has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. |