This little demon isn't
here to make friends, or something. It's an
efficiently-costed flier (5 mana for a 5/4 is
really good), and it has a brutal effect that
synergizes well with the cycling and discard
effects of the set. It even manages to never be
a dead draw, thanks to a cheap cycling cost.
It's a limited bomb, and I can see it doing well
in Standard.
It even has a home in
Modern, potentially, as part of Living End. It
cycles cheaply and presents a massive threat on
resolution, and it turns the other cycling cards
in your hand into board devastation for your
opponents. I think it's going to see a healthy
amount of play, thanks to its powerful effects
and confluence of attributes.
Constructed: 4.75
Casual: 4.75
Limited: 5
Multiplayer: 4.25
Commander: 4.5
James H.
Archfiend of Ifnir
I can't help but think that Astral Slide and its
related themes would have fit great in Amonkhet,
especially seeing as this, like a lot of the
cycling-matters cards, does a very similar trick
involving keeping your opponent under control.
The Archfiend, of course, also attacks and
blocks with five power, so is never a truly
useless card (so I don't want to hear about
Lightning Rift's power level!). I'm also
thinking of trying him out with something like
Living End. Not only does the Archfiend itself
have cycling, helping you set up its return on
the one big turn, but it gives you something to
do with any cycling cards you draw after the one
big turn (assuming your opponent is still in the
game, of course).
