Graven Archfiend MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact Creature — Gargoyle Demon |
| Abilities | Conjure,Flying |
| Released | 2022-06-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: New Capenna |
| Set code | YSNC |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 7 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Tuan Duong Chu |
Key Takeaways
- Graven Archfiend enables recurring board presence by resurrecting creatures from your graveyard each turn.
- Its triggered ability enhances strategy with instant speed mechanics at every end step.
- While powerful, it requires careful hand and mana management to maximize its potential.
Text of card
As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice a non-Demon creature. Flying When Graven Archfiend enters the battlefield, if its additional cost was paid, conjure a card named Demonic Pact onto the battlefield.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Graven Archfiend offers a significant benefit by potentially returning a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield each turn. This recurring mechanic ensures a persistent threat on the board, maintaining pressure on your opponent and gradually increasing your advantage over the course of the game.
Resource Acceleration: While Graven Archfiend itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its synergy with self-mill strategies can effectively turn your graveyard into a resource. By stocking your graveyard with potent creatures, Graven Archfiend allows you to leverage these resources, effectively bypassing mana costs associated with casting creatures from your hand.
Instant Speed: Though Graven Archfiend isn’t an instant, its triggered ability activates at the beginning of each end step, which can be almost as valuable. This means you can plan your turns knowing that regardless of what transpires, you have the potential to end the turn by strengthening your board presence, catching opponents off guard as they plan for their next move.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Graven Archfiend’s activation necessitates that you discard another card, which can significantly deplete your hand, especially if you’re relying on card advantage to win the game. This drawback means you must weigh the cost of using the ability against the potential loss of crucial cards that might be needed later on.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires an exact combination of mana, including both black and colorless, to cast. This can create challenges in deck-building, as you’ll need a mana base that consistently produces the right colors, potentially restricting its integration into multi-colored decks or those with a less fine-tuned mana curve.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost on the heftier side for its effect, Graven Archfiend demands a substantial investment of resources. When considering the effectiveness and efficiency of your deck, it’s important to evaluate whether its impact on the board justifies its mana cost compared with other available options in your strategy.
Reasons to Include Graven Archfiend in Your Collection
Versatility: Graven Archfiend offers a dynamic addition to black-centered decks, easily finding a home in midrange or aggressive strategies. Its ability to operate both as a sizeable beater and an enabler of graveyard strategies makes it a multifaceted card suitable for various game situations.
Combo Potential: This demon shines in decks that manipulate the graveyard. With a reanimation or sacrifice theme, Graven Archfiend can become a recurring threat, synergizing with cards that benefit from creatures dying or being put into a graveyard from anywhere, thus amplifying its impact on the game.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyards are a resource, the Graven Archfiend’s intrinsic qualities as a disruptor can be instrumental. It disrupts opponents’ graveyard strategies while also serving as a powerful tool in any black deck attempting to exploit death triggers and creature recursion for strategic advantage.
How to beat
Graven Archfiend presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, arriving on the battlefield with fearsome abilities that can intimidate even the most seasoned players. Its power lies not only in the formidable stats but also in its capability to resurrect itself from the graveyard, which requires a strategic approach to ensure it doesn’t control the game.
Dealing with Graven Archfiend effectively means employing exile effects to prevent its return from the graveyard. Spells like Path to Exile and Ashes to Ashes are critical as they bypass the creature’s recurring mechanism. Additionally, graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace can neutralize the threat by removing the possibility of resurrection. It’s also vital to manage the pace of the game, as early aggression can put pressure on the Archfiend’s controller, disrupting their plans to utilize it to its full potential.
Lastly, counter magic remains a reliable defense against powerful creatures. Cards like Counterspell and Dovin’s Veto can prevent Graven Archfiend from ever hitting the field, saving you from the trouble of dealing with it later. In short, maintaining control and leveraging exile or counter strategies are key to triumphing over Graven Archfiend’s menacing presence in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Graven Archfiend
Graven Archfiend is a card that players of Magic: The Gathering might compare to other formidable creatures in the game. One card that comes to mind is Archfiend of Despair. Both cards command the battlefield with their significant power and toughness, but they diverge in their unique abilities. Archfiend of Despair, however, stands out with its ability to double the life loss of opponents, making it a potentially game-ending threat.
Another card that shares some similarities is Archfiend of Depravity. It offers a different form of control by limiting the number of creatures your opponent can have. While Graven Archfiend offers significant late-game power and evasion with flying, the Archfiend of Depravity can influence the game earlier with its restraints on creature heavy strategies.
Considering the breadth of options available to players, Graven Archfiend finds its pride of place within Magic: The Gathering’s array of imposing demons. Its blend of flying for strategic evasion and the potential for graveyard synergy carves a unique niche that can be pivotal in the right deck.
Cards similar to Graven Archfiend by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Graven Archfiend MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: New Capenna, 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 Graven Archfiend 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 Graven Archfiend has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |