Abhorrent Overlord MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Demon
Abilities Flying
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Abhorrent Overlord generates many tokens, amplifying card advantage based on black mana devotion.
  2. Token creation acts as a resource for aggression or sacrificial synergy, boosting overall strategy.
  3. The Overlord’s presence demands an immediate answer lest it overwhelm with an aerial token army.

Text of card

Flying When Abhorrent Overlord enters the battlefield, create a number of 1/1 black Harpy creature tokens with flying equal to your devotion to black. (Each in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to black.) At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Abhorrent Overlord provides a significant card advantage by generating a swarm of Harpy creature tokens. This occurs upon entering the battlefield, amounting to the number of your devotion to black, potentially swamping your opponents with an overwhelming force.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the multitude of tokens created by Abhorrent Overlord can effectively act as a resource, either for aggressive strategies or as fodder for sacrificial effects which could lead to acceleration in other forms.

Instant Speed: While Abhorrent Overlord itself does not have instant speed, the tokens it creates can be a surprise blocker during your next untap phase, making it a card with immediate board impact if played at the right moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When summoning Abhorrent Overlord, you’re asked to sacrifice a creature for every swamp you control once its harrowing upkeep comes due. This might deplete your board presence and turn the tide against you, especially if you’ve constructed a formidable lineup of creatures worth more on the battlefield than as a sacrifice.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for casting this card is strictly black, demanding seven swamps to be tapped. This could hinder deck flexibility, making it challenging to integrate into multi-color decks that could otherwise benefit from the Overlord’s power but lack sufficient swamp-type lands.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Seven mana to bring Abhorrent Overlord to the fray is quite a steep price to pay. Considering the dynamic pacing of modern MTG gameplay, this can place you at a significant disadvantage as opponents may develop their board or find answers to your strategy before you manage to cast it.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Abhorrent Overlord offers a diverse role in black-themed decks. Its ability to generate a swarm of Harpy tokens scales with your devotion to black, making it a threat that can adapt to various board states and enhance strategies centered around creature quantity.

Combo Potential: This card is a combo enabler, working particularly well with sacrifice outlets or any strategy that capitalizes on creatures dying. The Harpies it produces can be used for a multitude of synergistic effects like triggering morbid, powering up graveyard mechanics, or enhancing death-trigger abilities.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where board presence and pressure are essential, Abhorrent Overlord shines. It can instantly tilt the game in your favor by overwhelming opponents with flying tokens and works as a substantial finisher in games that drag into the later turns.


How to beat

Abhorrent Overlord, with its imposing presence on the battlefield, often tips the scales in a game of Magic: The Gathering. Dominating with its ability to generate a swarm of Harpy tokens, opponents must craft a strategy to destabilize this advantage. One effective tactic is to employ removal spells that clear multiple creatures at once, such as Wrath of God or Damnation. These spells reset the board and remove the Overlord’s airborne army.

Countering the seven-cost Overlord before it lands is another savvy move. Affordable spells like Counterspell or Negate can prevent it from ever becoming a threat. Additionally, exiling effects such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares can dispatch the Overlord permanently, bypassing the graveyard synergies it might enable.

The key lies in anticipation and reaction; stay one step ahead with foresight and the right spells. By maintaining control of the board and keeping your removal options open, the daunting task of overcoming the Abhorrent Overlord in Magic: The Gathering becomes a manageable challenge.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the depths of strategy and enhance your MTG experience by integrating Abhorrent Overlord into your black-centric deck. Unleash an airborne army of Harpy tokens and revel in the tactical edge it grants you. Though its high mana cost and upkeep demand are considerable, the overwhelming token generation provides a robust offensive and sacrificial utility. Whether you’re amplifying token strategies, exploring mono-black control, or simply wishing to surprise your opponents with a dominating presence, Abhorrent Overlord is a worthy contender for your collection. Embolden your deck and discover more strategic insights with us, sharpening your competitive edge in the multiverse of MTG.


Cards like Abhorrent Overlord

Abhorrent Overlord has a unique place in the Magic: The Gathering realm due to its ability to flood the battlefield with Harpy creature tokens upon entry. This mechanic shares some similarities with cards like Sengir Autocrat, which also creates several 0/1 Serf tokens. While Sengir Autocrat brings tokens to play immediately, Abhorrent Overlord’s tokens are conditioned upon the number of Swamps you control, potentially creating a larger army but with dependency on your land base.

Another card that echoes this token-generating theme is Grave Titan. Although it costs one less mana and creates only two 2/2 Zombie tokens upon entering the battlefield or attacking, its consistency and smaller mana investment often match or even surpass the Overlord’s impact. Moreover, the titanic zombie can act as a repetitive source of tokens, unlike the one-time effect from the demon.

Lastly, we have Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder who turns each creature spell you cast into several 1/1 Thrulls. While not providing an immediate army like Abhorrent Overlord, the Master Breeder promises an ongoing supply of minions for tactical and strategic depth in gameplay. These comparisons highlight Abhorrent Overlord’s potential for explosive plays, especially for players seeking to capitalize on a high Swamp count.

Sengir Autocrat - MTG Card versions
Grave Titan - MTG Card versions
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder - MTG Card versions
Sengir Autocrat - Homelands (HML)
Grave Titan - Magic 2011 (M11)
Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder - Time Spiral (TSP)

Cards similar to Abhorrent Overlord by color, type and mana cost

Lord of the Pit - MTG Card versions
Minion of Tevesh Szat - MTG Card versions
Minion of Leshrac - MTG Card versions
Cateran Overlord - MTG Card versions
Deathbringer Regent - MTG Card versions
Black Dragon - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - MTG Card versions
Zombie Brute - MTG Card versions
Patron of the Nezumi - MTG Card versions
Tresserhorn Skyknight - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - MTG Card versions
Phage the Untouchable - MTG Card versions
Ebon Dragon - MTG Card versions
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - MTG Card versions
Sheoldred, Whispering One - MTG Card versions
Sutured Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Fell Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Butcher of Malakir - MTG Card versions
Eater of Hope - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Nel Toth - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Pit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Minion of Tevesh Szat - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Minion of Leshrac - Ice Age (ICE)
Cateran Overlord - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Deathbringer Regent - Commander 2021 (C21)
Black Dragon - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Zombie Brute - Legions (LGN)
Patron of the Nezumi - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Tresserhorn Skyknight - Coldsnap (CSP)
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - Time Spiral (TSP)
Phage the Untouchable - Conspiracy (CNS)
Ebon Dragon - From the Vault: Dragons (DRB)
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - Zendikar (ZEN)
Sheoldred, Whispering One - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Sutured Ghoul - Magic 2012 (M12)
Fell Shepherd - Commander 2013 (C13)
Butcher of Malakir - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Eater of Hope - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Scourge of Nel Toth - Commander 2015 (C15)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Abhorrent Overlord MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros 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 Abhorrent Overlord and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Abhorrent Overlord Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-09-21 and 2013-09-27. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 501262003normalblackDave Kendall
22013-09-21Theros PromosPTHS 75★2003normalblackDave Kendall
32013-09-27TherosTHS 752003normalblackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Abhorrent Overlord has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2013-09-15 Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s).
2013-09-15 If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it's still on the battlefield at that time.
2013-09-15 Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color.
2013-09-15 Numeric mana symbols (, , and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color.

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