The Book of Vile Darkness MTG Card
2021-07-23 - Number 91s
2021-07-23 - Number 91a
2021-07-23 - Number 91
2021-07-23 - Number 91p
2021-07-23 - Number 374
2002-06-24 - Number 92694
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Artifact |
Text of card
At the beginning of your end step, if you lost 2 or more life this turn, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. , Exile The Book of Vile Darkness and artifacts you control named Eye of Vecna and Hand of Vecna: Create Vecna, a legendary 8/8 black Zombie God creature token with indestructible and all triggered abilities of the exiled cards.
Cards like The Book of Vile Darkness
The Book of Vile Darkness stands out in the realm of artifact permanents in Magic the Gathering. It bears similarities to other legendary artifacts like the Immortal Sun, which also offers multiple utility. The Immortal Sun suppresses planeswalker abilities and provides cost reduction for spells, which contrasts with the Book’s focus on generating villainous creature tokens and enhancing them.
Another parallel can be drawn with Darksteel Forge, which provides indestructibility to artifacts you control, setting off a different strategic avenue. The Book of Vile Darkness, however, emphasizes its unique synergy with evil characters, requiring them for its full potential. The Great Henge is yet another noteworthy artifact sharing the card advantage trait but pivots towards creature empowerment and life gain over the Book’s emphasis on cultivating a dark-themed board presence.
Crucially, the charisma of The Book of Vile Darkness in MTG lies in its narrative-driven mechanics that resonate well with players fond of the darker, story-rich aspects of the game. Its flavor-rich abilities provide a distinct path that narratively and mechanically distinguishes it from its artifact counterparts.
Cards similar to The Book of Vile Darkness by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Book of Vile Darkness offers a unique and potent way to gain card advantage. Once on the battlefield, it allows you to delve into a deep pool of utility by potentially creating a stream of creatures to sustain your board presence. This consistent generation of minions can keep your hand full and your options open.
Resource Acceleration: As a card that has the potential to accelerate your resources, The Book of Vile Darkness can prove to be an asset by providing you with additional assets on the board. These assets are not just mere tokens but creatures that can be used for various strategies, including but not limited to mana ramp, strategic sacrifices, or as fodder for other card interactions.
Instant Speed: Though The Book of Vile Darkness itself does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with other cards that do. It allows you to adjust your strategy in real-time, responding to the changing tides of gameplay with the creatures it produces, giving you the advantage of adaptability and tactical depth in your plays.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Book of Vile Darkness presents a notable drawback for players having to discard cards, potentially depleting valuable hand options that could be crucial for maintaining leverage during the game.
Specific Mana Cost: This artifact card comes with a mana cost that’s strictly black, which may not seamlessly fit into decks that don’t primarily harness the power of Swamp lands or lack the ability to generate multiple black mana easily.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the requirement to invest three black mana to cast, players might find The Book of Vile Darkness on the more excessive end, especially when considering other options within the same mana range that could contribute to board presence or card advantage more effectively.
Reasons to Include The Book of Vile Darkness in Your Collection
Versatility: This artifact fits seamlessly into decks that capitalize on dark themes or strategies. Whether it’s powering up through life-loss or benefiting from the sacrifice of creatures, it molds to various gameplay styles with ease.
Combo Potential: The Book of Vile Darkness has inherent synergy with cards that reward you for delving into the darker side of magic, potentially unlocking powerful combos and terrifying your opponents with an ever-growing threat.
Meta-Relevance: As the game landscape shifts, this card remains a relevant addition. Its ability to exploit certain deck archetypes and provide long-term value ensures it is a contender in various meta environments.
How to beat
The Book of Vile Darkness is a formidable artifact card in Magic: The Gathering. This card, steeped in dark lore, can pose a significant challenge due to its ability to regularly stock a player’s hand and potentially summon a powerful demon. To overcome this vile tome, smart play and deck construction are key. Consider including artifact removal spells in your deck that can directly target and dismantle The Book of Vile Darkness before it begins to unfold its full potential. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize offer straightforward solutions to artifact threats and are essential in any deck when facing a meta where such powerful artifacts are prevalent.
Additionally, countering the card’s initial casting can nip the problem in the bud before it even hits the battlefield. Spells like Negate or Counterspell should be kept in hand, ready to halt The Book of Vile Darkness from ever impacting the game. It’s also crucial to keep pressure on your opponent, forcing them to use resources on maintaining their defenses rather than leveraging the Book’s capabilities. This focused strategy can shift the tide of the game, curbing the card’s influence, and leading one step closer to victory.
In essence, tight control over the board state and preparedness in your deck construction are the best strategies when dealing with The Book of Vile Darkness. It’s a perilous item that requires immediate attention, and with the right approach, its darkness can be contained and overcome within the game sequence.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase The Book of Vile Darkness MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Adventures in the Forgotten Realms 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 The Book of Vile Darkness and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
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- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The The Book of Vile Darkness Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2021-07-23. Illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 92694 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren | ||
| 2 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos | PAFR | 91s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren | |
| 3 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos | PAFR | 91a | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren | |
| 4 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | AFR | 91 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren | |
| 5 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos | PAFR | 91p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren | |
| 6 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | AFR | 374 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daniel Ljunggren |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where The Book of Vile Darkness 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 The Book of Vile Darkness card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2021-07-23 | In some strange cases, you might make something into a copy of the Eye and/or Hand of Vecna and then exile that copy to activate The Book of Vile Darkness's ability. The ability that creates Vecna will look at the cards in exile, not the permanents on the battlefield, so it's possible to have Vecna gain different triggered abilities. |
| 2021-07-23 | In the vast majority of cases, Vecna will gain the triggered ability printed on Hand of Vecna and the two triggered abilities printed on Eye of Vecna. |
| 2021-07-23 | The Book of Vile Darkness has received an update. The current Oracle text appears above. Specifically, the triggered abilities that Vecna gains are part of its copiable values. This means any enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities it gains (such as the one from Eye of Vecna) will trigger. |