Vile Deacon MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Cleric
Released	2003-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Legions
Set code	LGN
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	85
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Matthew D. Wilson

Key Takeaways

Vile Deacon’s power boost from graveyard creatures creates a formidable, evolving in-game threat.
Optimal in black-centered decks, its mana cost may limit multi-color deck inclusion.
Integrating it into Cleric-based strategies can maximize its dynamic combat potential.

Text of card

Whenever Vile Deacon attacks, it gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the number of Clerics in play.

"The Cabal and the Order really aren't that different. After all, we are both empowered by faith."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vile Deacon can significantly boost its power, effectively making it a larger threat without requiring additional cards. This ability increases the value of each creature card in your graveyard as they indirectly contribute to the Deacon’s strength.

Resource Acceleration: While Vile Deacon doesn’t directly contribute to resource acceleration, its potentially high power relative to its casting cost means that less mana can be allocated to other creatures while still maintaining a solid presence on the board.

Instant Speed: Although Vile Deacon is not an instant itself, it benefits from instant speed spells that fill your graveyard with creatures cards, thus powering up the Deacon unexpectedly during combat. This can turn the tides in a game, especially if the opponent underestimates the potential increase in power.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vile Deacon necessitates having other creatures in play to fully harness its power. This dependency can be detrimental in games where your board presence is weak, thus limiting its effectiveness.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s black-centric mana cost can be restrictive. It demands a heavy commitment to black mana, making it less flexible in multicolored decks where mana needs to be efficiently allocated across different color needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its casting cost and the requirement for a significant presence of clerics to optimize its potential, Vile Deacon may not provide the best value compared to other creatures in its mana range. Players might find better efficiency and synergy in other options available within the same cost bracket.

Reasons to Include Vile Deacon in Your Collection

Versatility: Vile Deacon offers a flexible role in Cleric decks and black-based control strategies. As a creature that grows stronger with each cleric you control, it can adapt to the evolving state of the game, making it a dynamic addition to your roster.

Combo Potential: This card thrives in cleric synergistic decks, where its power can spike unexpectedly. Pairing Vile Deacon with cards that generate cleric tokens or resurrect creatures from the graveyard can lead to a formidable board presence, giving you an edge during the mid to late game.

Meta-Relevance: Vile Deacon’s ability to become a considerable threat can keep pace with aggressive decks in your local game scene. Against control decks, it serves as a recurring force that demands an answer, making it tactically valuable for maintaining pressure on your opponents.

How to beat

Vile Deacon can be a thorny adversary in Magic: The Gathering, thriving in decks that emphasize Cleric synergy. Its power boosts during your turn for each Cleric on the battlefield, which can quickly escalate if left unchecked. To outmaneuver this menace, it’s crucial to disrupt the Cleric accumulation directly. This can be done through targeted removal spells or board wipes, which cleanse the field of multiple creatures.

Another effective strategy is to employ instant-speed interaction to eliminate Vile Deacon before it receives its power boost during your turn. Counterspells or flash creatures that can block and kill the Deacon work well. For decks that can’t handle creatures easily, enforcing restrictions with cards that prevent abilities from activating or with enchantments that keep creatures tapped could be the best line of defense.

It’s important to remember that Vile Deacon’s potential lies dormant unless it’s actively supported by other Clerics. Consequently, prioritizing the removal of key Cleric cards or employing graveyard disruption to prevent recurring threats can drastically reduce the Deacon’s influence on the game. Playing proactively against a deck with Vile Deacon often results in a manageable board where this card loses its potency.

Cards like Vile Deacon

Vile Deacon is an intriguing creature card in MTG, sharing some similarities with other cards in the realm of clerical and horror-themed buffs. For instance, consider the card Death Cultist: it also gains power from sacrificing creatures, although in this case, it’s directly for life gain, rather than the power boost that Vile Deacon offers. This creature, on the other hand, becomes stronger during your turn for each black mana symbol in the mana costs of spells you’ve cast.

Next, there’s Skirsdag Flayer. This creature doesn’t grow in power like Vile Deacon but can leverage the devotion to black mana similar to how Vile Deacon benefits from black mana symbols. Instead of becoming a combat threat, it offers board control by destroying creatures. Then, there’s the card called Strongarm Monk, which, although not increasing in power, helps other creatures get stronger whenever you cast a noncreature spell, promoting a synergy-driven approach to the game.

Each card brings its unique flavor to the table, with Vile Deacon standing out for its potential to become a substantial aggressor on the battlefield, provided the conditions are ripe with black mana spells to trigger its power-enhancing ability.

Death Cultist - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)

Strongarm Monk - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)

Cards similar to Vile Deacon by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)

Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Gixian Puppeteer - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vile Deacon MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Vile Deacon and other MTG cards: