The MTG card Archfiend of the Dross is currently spiking in price. Despite seeing a tiny bit of Standard play a year or so ago, this undercosted demon had practically become a bulk rare. Just two weeks ago, on October 15, the card was priced at $0.80, but since then it’s shot up 525% to $5.
If you spotted the price rise for Unholy Annex//Ritual Chamber the other day, you’ve probably guessed there’s a connection here. Sure enough, both cards appear in a popular new MTG Standard deck which won the Magic World Championship 30 last weekend: Dimir Demons.
Javier Dominguez took his second World Champion title with this midrange deck that uses Unholy Annex to provide sustained card draw, keeping you flush in removal, forced discard and counterspells. Eventually, this Room card turns into a win condition thanks to demon cards like the black mana intensive Doomsday Excruciator and, of course, Archfiend of the Dross.
A 6/6 flying creature that makes your opponents lose extra life when their creatures die, Archfiend of the Dross is pretty damn impressive as four mana creatures go. But he has a big drawback – keep him on the battlefield for long enough and you automatically lose the game. Fortunately, if you’re repeatedly swinging in the air with a 6/6 while draining your opponent each turn, the game will usually be over before that becomes a problem.
It’s worth noting that, while all varieties have spiked, the showcase version of Archfiend of the Dross is currently a little bit cheaper than the regular form. And if you’re looking to try out the Dimir Demons deck yourself, and just want the most bargain version available, there’s a prerelease stamped version of the card that’s still under $2.
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Source: Wargamer
