Vilis, Broker of Blood MTG Card


Vilis transforms life loss into card draw, making it a powerful advantage engine in game. His instant speed ability offers unrivaled reactive gameplay tactics and flexibility. Despite a high mana cost, Vilis’s potential card advantage can be game-changing.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Demon
Abilities Flying
Power 8
Toughness 8

Text of card

Flying , Pay 2 life: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Whenever you lose life, draw that many cards. (Damage causes loss of life.)

"You can sign, or you can spend your life imagining what might have been yours."


Cards like Vilis, Broker of Blood

Vilis, Broker of Blood carves a distinct niche within the MTG landscape, offering players an impactful combination of life loss and card draw. Mirroring its unique abilities, K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth is another card that similarly converts life to advantage by reducing casting costs at the expense of life. However, Vilis allows you to draw a card whenever you lose life, regardless of the source, granting a more consistent card advantage compared to K’rrik’s selective cost-reduction.

Razaketh, the Foulblooded is a further parallel, albeit with a different exchange rate. Like Vilis, it’s a high-cost, high-impact creature that changes the game’s dynamic, allowing you to tutor cards by sacrificing creatures instead of trading life for cards directly. Each offers a path to turn resources into powerful in-game effects, showcasing the strategic depth in MTG.

In assessing these formidable creatures, it’s evident that Vilis, Broker of Blood brings a formidable presence to any table. It provides an unrivaled ability to synergize with life payment strategies, making it an invaluable asset in decks looking to harness raw power and immediate card advantage.

K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth - MTG Card versions
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - MTG Card versions
K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth - MTG Card versions
Razaketh, the Foulblooded - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Vilis, Broker of Blood. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Jund ControlJund Control LegacyCharlotte Legacy League Season 1 Week 2
ReanimatorReanimator LegacyReanimatorEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Legacy Mainevent

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vilis, Broker of Blood guarantees a substantial card draw mechanism. Whenever you lose life, you draw that many cards, turning any life payment into potential for card advantage. This is powerful in decks that deliberately pay life for various effects, transforming a potential downside into a strategic resource.

Resource Acceleration: While Vilis does not directly produce mana or tokens, his ability to draw multiple cards can indirectly lead to resource acceleration. By refilling your hand, you’re more likely to draw into land drops or ramp spells, which in turn can help accelerate your board state.

Instant Speed: Vilis’s abilities can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to use his life payment and card draw effect during your opponent’s turn. This allows for reactive gameplay, contributing to better decision-making by adapting to the ever-changing game state. Furthermore, instant-speed card draw can disrupt opponent strategies, especially when you’re drawing into answers or threats at critical moments.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the context of Vilis, Broker of Blood, players are not required to discard cards, but rather pay life to draw cards, which can be just as precarious. Losing life to activate Vilis’s abilities can place you in a vulnerable position, especially in games where your life total is under constant threat.

Specific Mana Cost: Vilis comes with a hefty cost that demands three black mana alongside five generic mana. This specific mana cost makes it challenging for multi-color decks to summon him consistently and restricts him majorly to mono-black or heavily black-weighted decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an eight total mana cost to bring Vilis, Broker of Blood onto the battlefield, some players might find it cumbersome, especially in faster-paced games. There are alternatives for drawing cards or controlling the board that don’t require such a significant investment, making them potentially more practical choices depending on the deck’s strategy and format.


Reasons to Include Vilis, Broker of Blood in Your Collection

Versatility: Vilis, Broker of Blood can be a powerful inclusion in black-based Commander and other high-powered casual decks. Its ability to draw cards whenever you lose life presents numerous possibilities for deckbuilding and synergizes well with a variety of black cards and strategies that utilize life as a resource.

Combo Potential: With cards that enable paying life, such as “Necropotence” or “K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth,” Vilis can generate substantial card advantage. This can lead to explosive turns where you draw into more actions and answers, essentially turning life points into fuel for your game plan.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where long, battle-of-attrition style games are common, Vilis shines by keeping your hand replenished, and in combination with cards that mitigate life loss, it can become a formidable engine that consistently provides you with resources.


How to Beat Vilis, Broker of Blood

Vilis, Broker of Blood is a powerhouse in MTG, commanding the board with its ability to draw cards whenever you lose life. But don’t let its dominance discourage you – overcoming this leviathan is possible. Addressing Vilis often means interrupting its source of power, which is life loss for card draw. One strategy is to control the board with removal spells that can bypass its bulk, like Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy, which can exile or destroy it before it becomes a real problem.

Another tactic is to employ counterspells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto when your opponent casts Vilis, stopping this fearsome creature from ever hitting the board. If Vilis does make it into play, enact a strict damage control regime. Avoid unnecessary life loss to prevent your opponent from drawing extra cards. Direct damage spells or abilities that can take out Vilis without you losing life, such as Lightning Bolt or Murderous Rider, are also key to your strategy. Keeping your cool and playing smart will turn the tide against Vilis, Broker of Blood.

In practice, reacting early and decisively will keep Vilis in check, maintaining the balance of the game in your favor. Remember, every deck has a weakness, and for as formidable as Vilis might appear, it too can be bested with the right approach.


BurnMana Recommendations

As MTG enthusiasts, we look beyond a single card’s strengths and towards the synergies and overall deck strategies. Vilis, Broker of Blood can offer more than card advantage; it can reshape your gameplay. Whether you’re constructing a deck that thrives on life payment mechanics or needing card-draw capabilities to fuel your strategy, Vilis has potential to be a game-changer. With the right support structure, this formidable demon can elevate your deck’s performance substantially. Curious about bringing Vilis into your arsenal and exploring new deck-building avenues? Dive deeper with us to enhance your MTG journey and harness the power of Vilis, Broker of Blood.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vilis, Broker of Blood MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and Game Night: Free-for-All, 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 Vilis, Broker of Blood and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Vilis, Broker of Blood Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2022-10-14. Illustrated by Tyler Jacobson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-07-12Core Set 2020M20 1222015NormalBlackTyler Jacobson
22022-10-14Game Night: Free-for-AllGN3 632015NormalBlackTyler Jacobson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vilis, Broker of Blood has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-07-12 A player loses life if they pay life.
2019-07-12 If you pay life to cast a spell or activate an ability, you don’t draw cards until after you’ve finished casting that spell or activating that ability. You draw those cards before that spell or ability resolves, but after targets are chosen for it.