King Narfi's Betrayal MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Saga
Abilities Mill

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants card advantage by leveraging both your and your opponents’ graveyards with its saga ability.
  2. Enhances strategic depth with the potential to cast exiled cards, disrupting opponents’ tactics.
  3. Demands mindful play due to specific mana requirements and potential impact on your own strategy.

Text of card

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I — Each player mills four cards. Then you may exile a creature or planeswalker card from each graveyard. II, III — Until end of turn, you may cast spells from among cards exiled with King Narfi's Betrayal, and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast those spells.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: King Narfi’s Betrayal offers a unique card advantage by allowing you to exile up to two cards from each player’s graveyard with the final chapter of its saga ability. This sets up for future turns by providing access to additional resources that could potentially be from an opponent’s graveyard, giving you not just more cards to play with but also the right kind to disrupt their plans.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly generating mana or Treasure tokens, King Narfi’s Betrayal accelerates your resource access by letting you cast the exiled cards. This means you can use your opponents’ best spells against them, potentially playing high-impact cards earlier than you would be able to do with just the cards in your own deck.

Instant Speed: As a saga, King Narfi’s Betrayal isn’t cast at instant speed, but it does allow for instant-speed play of the exiled cards in following turns. This builds a level of unpredictability into your game, as your opponents must consider not only what you could play from your hand, but also from exile, keeping them on their toes at all times.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One aspect to note about King Narfi’s Betrayal is that it necessitates a keen awareness of graveyard management. Unlike cards that function solely off your opponent’s graveyard, you might be coerced into making decisions that could detrimentally impact your own long-term strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: King Narfi’s Betrayal comes with a specific mana cost that blends blue and black mana. This dual requirement can be restrictive, limiting the card’s integration into a broader range of multicolored decks, especially those that do not prioritize these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in with a mana value that’s on the higher end for its effect, King Narfi’s Betrayal might find itself in competition with other, more cost-effective graveyard manipulation or control cards. This could potentially overshadow its appeal in decks where mana efficiency is paramount.


Reasons to Include King Narfi’s Betrayal in Your Collection

Versatility: King Narfi’s Betrayal offers a unique advantage as it allows players to manipulate both their graveyard and those of their opponents. This enchantment saga from Kaldheim sets up for multifaceted usage in different types of decks, from reanimator strategies to control setups, demonstrating remarkable adaptability.

Combo Potential: The card’s second and third chapters enable players to cast spells from among cards exiled with King Narfi’s Betrayal during earlier turns. This opens up opportunities for unexpected combo plays, as you can leverage not just your own spells but also potentially powerful options from your opponents’ decks.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that often includes graveyard-based strategies, having a card that disrupts your opponent’s plans while providing you with additional resources is invaluable. King Narfi’s Betrayal therefore not only hampers your opponents but also adapts to the shifting tides of the meta, ensuring its continuing importance in your arsenal.


How to beat King Narfi’s Betrayal

King Narfi’s Betrayal presents an intricate situation in the current meta. The card functions by exiling cards from opponents’ graveyards, escalating the longer it remains on the field. Notably, it thrives in games where opponents rely heavily on their graveyard strategies, turning their own techniques against them.

Neutralizing this saga requires strategic foresight. Prioritize removing it before the third lore counter is placed, which is when its most detrimental effect kicks in. Accomplish this by using enchantment removal spells like Thrashing Brontodon or Invoke the Divine, which can disrupt the saga’s progress and prevent opponents from pilfering your graveyard. Additionally, favor playing cards with graveyard shuffling abilities, such as Perpetual Timepiece, to minimize the value your opponent gets from exiling your cards. Flexibility is key; adapting your tactics on the fly against King Narfi’s Betrayal can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Above all, being preemptive and predictive in your approach when facing decks that wield this saga can maintain your momentum and protect your graveyard assets. Wisely managing your resources will enable you to halt Narfi’s frosty scheme in its tracks.


BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the depths of MTG gameplay, King Narfi’s Betrayal stands out as a strategic gem for those looking to gain the upper hand through graveyard manipulation. Its ability to disrupt and utilize opponents’ cards makes it a formidable choice for your deck. With pros like card advantage and unexpected combo potential, it’s essential to consider how this enchantment saga aligns with your overall tactic. Don’t let the challenge of a higher mana cost or color specificity deter you. If you’re intrigued by the tactical edge it provides and yearn to deepen your understanding of MTG’s intricate dynamics, continue your journey with us and discover how to harness the full potential of King Narfi’s Betrayal in your matches.


Cards like King Narfi's Betrayal

King Narfi’s Betrayal emerges as an innovative piece within the MTG landscape, mirroring the compelling mechanics of cards like Stolen by the Fae. Both harness the essence of exiling opponent’s cards for one’s own gain, though they diverge in execution. King Narfi’s Betrayal delves into graveyards, allowing a player to cast spells from among those cards for a limited duration, creating an aura of anticipation and strategic depth.

Another analogous card is Dire Fleet Daredevil, which also snatches opportunities from the opponent’s graveyard, albeit on a singular basis and attaches it to a creature. Unlike the broader implications of King Narfi’s Betrayal, Dire Fleet Daredevil targets individual spells, providing a window of tactical advantage conditioned by its presence on the battlefield.

Analyzing these cards next to King Narfi’s Betrayal, it’s clear that while all share a graveyard plundering theme, Narfi’s Betrayal stands out for its ability to disrupt multiple plans over successive turns. This makes it a formidable tool when weighed against its graveyard-interacting counterparts in the Magic: The Gathering universe.

Stolen by the Fae - MTG Card versions
Dire Fleet Daredevil - MTG Card versions
Stolen by the Fae - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)
Dire Fleet Daredevil - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)

Cards similar to King Narfi's Betrayal by color, type and mana cost

Unfulfilled Desires - MTG Card versions
Vile Consumption - MTG Card versions
Torpor Dust - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret's Touch - MTG Card versions
Disinformation Campaign - MTG Card versions
Unfulfilled Desires - Mirage (MIR)
Vile Consumption - Invasion (INV)
Torpor Dust - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Tezzeret's Touch - Kaladesh Remastered (KLR)
Disinformation Campaign - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase King Narfi's Betrayal MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim and Kaldheim 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 King Narfi's Betrayal and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The King Narfi's Betrayal Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Chase Stone.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-02-05KaldheimKHM 2192015sagablackChase Stone
22021-02-06Kaldheim PromosPKHM 219p2015sagablackChase Stone
32021-02-06Kaldheim PromosPKHM 219s2015sagablackChase Stone
42023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 2722015sagablackChase Stone

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where King Narfi's Betrayal has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering King Narfi's Betrayal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-02-05 A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the chapter III ability to trigger, but chapters I and II won't trigger again.
2021-02-05 As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn't use the stack.
2021-02-05 Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
2021-02-05 If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
2021-02-05 If you cast a spell with the chapter II/III ability, it becomes a new object. If it returns to exile, it's no longer exiled with King Narfi's Betrayal, and you won't be able to cast it again this way.
2021-02-05 Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won't be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
2021-02-05 Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga's controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.
2021-02-05 Removing lore counters won't cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives more lore counters.
2021-02-05 The "cards exiled with King Narfi's Betrayal" are only the cards exiled by that particular King Narfi's Betrayal, not any other Betrayals that you previously controlled.
2021-02-05 The chapter I ability doesn't target any cards in graveyards. For each graveyard, you may exile a creature or planeswalker card that was just milled or one that was already there. You choose which cards are exiled.
2021-02-05 The chapter II/III ability doesn't change when you can cast the exiled cards. In most cases, this means during your main phase while the stack is empty, although flash may change this.

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