Shadowgrange Archfiend
Creature — Demon
When this creature enters, each opponent sacrifices a creature with the greatest power among creatures they control. You gain life equal to the greatest power among creatures sacrificed this way.
Madness—
, Pay 8 life. (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)
- CMC
- 7
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Crimson Vow Commander
- Price
- $5.18
- EDHREC rank
- #4270
Shadowgrange Archfiend enters the battlefield and forces each opponent to sacrifice their creature with the highest power, then you gain life equal to the greatest power among those sacrificed — a removal spell and a life swing stapled to an 8/4 flying body. The catch is the madness cost: you pay 3B when discarding it, making this card nearly unplayable without a dedicated discard outlet but an absurd rate when you have one.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Anje Falkenrath
Anje Falkenrath's activated ability lets you discard Shadowgrange Archfiend at instant speed to draw a card, then cast it immediately for 3B — that's the engine Shadowgrange Archfiend was designed for, and why 64% of Anje decks run it.
Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer
Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer casts spells directly from the graveyard when you discard them, which means pitching Shadowgrange Archfiend to any outlet immediately threatens a free cast and a forced sacrifice wave.
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar requires you to have discarded a card this turn to cast it, and Shadowgrange Archfiend is a premium discard target — it punishes opponents for the same turn you're enabling your commander.
Chainer, Nightmare Adept
Chainer, Nightmare Adept lets you discard a card to cast creatures from your graveyard, so Shadowgrange Archfiend serves double duty: discard it to enable Chainer's ability on another target, then later recast it from the graveyard for the full madness effect.
Rona, Herald of Invasion
Rona, Herald of Invasion's untap trigger rewards you for casting legendary spells and provides a loot outlet, giving Shadowgrange Archfiend a clean discard-and-cast line while fueling the broader looter engine.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Shadowgrange Archfiend earns its slot — three opponents each losing a creature and you gaining a chunk of life off one madness trigger is a tempo swing that can decide games. In Legacy and Vintage, the card is legal but finds no home: eight mana total without the discard infrastructure is unacceptably slow, and the effect doesn't interact with those formats' threat density the way a two-mana disruption spell would. Oathbreaker shares Commander's multiplayer math and discard-synergy commanders, so it functions similarly there for players building around Anje-style looters. Outside dedicated madness or discard shells in any format, Shadowgrange Archfiend is a liability — it's not a card you hardcast.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
If you want forced sacrifice without the discard dependency, Plaguecrafter and Fleshbag Marauder both cost under $1 and hit every opponent at three mana — they lack the life gain and the flying body, but they're castable without infrastructure. Shadowgrange Archfiend's actual niche is the combination of mass sacrifice, life swing, and madness synergy in one card, and no single budget option fully replicates that; if you're not running a discard outlet, cut Shadowgrange Archfiend entirely rather than chasing a replacement.
Price Context
Current price
$5.18 mid tier
At $5.18, Shadowgrange Archfiend sits in the mid tier — affordable enough to include on budget but expensive enough to demand a real slot justification. The price reflects its narrow home: it's a staple in Anje Falkenrath decks and little else, so demand is real but constrained.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Anje Falkenrath
- Oskar, Rubbish Reclaimer
- Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
- Chainer, Nightmare Adept
- Rona, Herald of Invasion
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.