Archfiend of Despair MTG Card


Doubles the life loss dealt to opponents, making it a potent force in MTG gameplay. Demands black mana, posing deck building challenges but rewarding strategic play. Combines well with similar life-manipulating cards, enhancing deck versatility and power.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Demon
Abilities Flying
Power 6
Toughness 6

Text of card

Flying Your opponents can't gain life. At the beginning of each end step, each opponent loses life equal to the life that player lost this turn. (Damage causes loss of life.)


Cards like Archfiend of Despair

The Archfiend of Despair is a unique powerhouse in the world of Magic: The Gathering, drawing comparisons to other formidable creatures like Wound Reflection and Havoc Festival. This behemoth stands out with its ability to double the life loss opponents suffer each turn, akin to Wound Reflection’s punishing passive effect. Unlike the enchantment, however, Archfiend of Despair brings the added benefit of a flying body capable of dealing damage directly.

Looking towards Havoc Festival, players face a relentless race against time, as it slices life totals in half every turn. While Havoc Festival cuts life indiscriminately, the Archfiend focuses its torment solely on opponents, excluding the caster from its ruthless rule. Though both cards share a similar destructive flavor, the Archfiend’s selective suffering and the ability to engage in combat give deck builders a tactical creature that can both attack and dictate the pace of life loss.

In weighing the strategic usage between these cards, the Archfiend of Despair emerges as a terror in the late game. Its dual role as a punishing force and a potent attacker provides significant advantages, ensuring it holds a coveted spot among life manipulation cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Wound Reflection - MTG Card versions
Havoc Festival - MTG Card versions
Wound Reflection - MTG Card versions
Havoc Festival - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Archfiend of Despair by color, type and mana cost

Infernal Denizen - MTG Card versions
Baron Sengir - MTG Card versions
Avatar of Woe - MTG Card versions
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Distended Mindbender - MTG Card versions
Abundant Maw - MTG Card versions
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - MTG Card versions
Torgaar, Famine Incarnate - MTG Card versions
Infernal Denizen - MTG Card versions
Baron Sengir - MTG Card versions
Avatar of Woe - MTG Card versions
Devouring Strossus - MTG Card versions
Griselbrand - MTG Card versions
Void Beckoner - MTG Card versions
Scion of Darkness - MTG Card versions
Reiver Demon - MTG Card versions
Myojin of Night's Reach - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Praetor - MTG Card versions
Liege of the Pit - MTG Card versions
Tombstalker - MTG Card versions
Skeletal Wurm - MTG Card versions
Pestilence Demon - MTG Card versions
Baleful Force - MTG Card versions
Shambling Attendants - MTG Card versions
Distended Mindbender - MTG Card versions
Abundant Maw - MTG Card versions
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - MTG Card versions
Torgaar, Famine Incarnate - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Archfiend of Despair’s unique ability to essentially double the life loss opponents experience can quickly tilt the game in your favor, chipping away at their life total while setting you up with a strong board presence.

Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly provide mana, its formidable presence can accelerate the game’s end in your favor, acting as a significant deterrent that enables you to devote resources towards other game-winning strategies.

Instant Speed: The Archfiend doesn’t operate at instant speed itself, but its impact on the board commands instant-speed responses from opponents. This forces the opponent to react immediately, instead of planning out their future turns, which can be a substantial strategic advantage to you.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Archfiend of Despair doesn’t require a discard per se, but its hefty mana cost and the potential for removal from the board before you can reap its benefits are drawbacks. Such risks effectively make it a card that demands immediate value from your hand or board presence to justify its inclusion.

Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a significant commitment to black mana, necessitating double black in its total cost. This specific mana need can strain your manabase, especially in multicolor decks where consistent access to two black mana sources by turn eight may be challenging.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an eight mana cost, Archfiend of Despair competes with many other high-impact spells and creatures. Its late game presence might be powerful, but in faster-paced games, its cost could prove too onerous, delaying critical plays and opening you up to more aggressive early and mid-game strategies.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Archfiend of Despair isn’t just restricted to demon tribal themes; its ability to impact life totals makes it a fine addition in any black-focused control or midrange deck looking to close games quickly.

Combo Potential: This card pairs exceedingly well with other cards that manipulate life totals. When combined, for instance, with Wound Reflection, you effectively halve your opponent’s life total at the end of each turn, potentially decimating your opponents in just one cycle.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where life gain decks are prevalent, Archfiend of Despair acts as a powerful deterrent. It ensures that opponents are punished for any life they gain while accelerating your path to victory with its life-doubling damage effect during each end step.


How to beat

The Archfiend of Despair is a formidable card often turning the tide in favor of the player who casts it. With its unique ability to make opponents lose life equal to the life they lost this turn, it’s a card that can quickly close out games by doubling the damage dealt. Its accompanying flying ability also makes it a dangerous aerial threat.

To effectively counter this eight-mana-cost behemoth, removal spells are your best bet. Cards such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider can effectively bypass the Archfiend’s abilities by removing it from the battlefield outright. Enchantment-based solutions like Pacifism could also prevent it from attacking or blocking, minimizing the threat it poses.

Considering the Archfiend’s high mana cost, another strategy is to employ pressure early in the game. This proactive approach can reduce the opponent’s life total before they have a chance to cast the Archfiend, or it could force them to deal with your threats instead of developing their board. Moreover, countermagic such as Negate or Dovin’s Veto can neutralize the Archfiend as it is cast, stopping the threat before it even begins. Overall, swift aggression and timely removal are key to overcoming the Archfiend of Despair.


BurnMana Recommendations

Embarking on the strategic journey that is Magic the Gathering with cards like Archfiend of Despair provides a pathway to mastering the art of life manipulation within the game. Grasping its potential requires knowing when to play key cards and adapt strategies to enhance the formidable presence of such a creature in your deck. If you’re looking to refine your black mana deck or dive deeper into dominating late-game scenarios, the Archfiend of Despair is a card to consider adding to your collection. With nuanced play and a strategic mindset, take the next steps on your MTG adventure and join us to discover how to optimize your deck’s performance and reign supreme at the table.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Archfiend of Despair MTG card by a specific set like Battlebond and Commander Masters, 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 Archfiend of Despair and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Archfiend of Despair Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-06-08 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Josh Hass.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-06-08BattlebondBBD 442015NormalBlackJosh Hass
22023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 1372015NormalBlackJosh Hass
32023-08-04Commander Masters Art SeriesACMM 122015Art seriesBorderlessJosh Hass
42023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 5032015NormalBlackJosh Hass

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Archfiend of Despair has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-06-08 Archfiend of Despair’s last ability counts only how much life was lost. It doesn’t care whether a player also gained life.
2018-06-08 In a Two-Headed Giant game, damage and life loss happen to each player individually. If each player on a team is dealt 2 damage, each of those players loses 2 life and the team’s life total goes down by 4. When Archfiend of Despair’s ability resolves, each of those players again loses 2 life and the team’s life total goes down again by 4; they don’t each lose 4 life.
2018-06-08 The amount of life to lose is determined only as Archfiend of Despair’s triggered ability resolves. For example, if you control two of them and an opponent lost 3 life earlier in the turn, the first ability to resolve would have that player lose 3 life, and the second would have that player lose 6 life.