Zariel, Archduke of Avernus
Legendary Planeswalker — Zariel
+1: Creatures you control get +1/+0 and gain haste until end of turn.
0: Create a 1/1 red Devil creature token with "When this token dies, it deals 1 damage to any target."
−6: You get an emblem with "At the end of the first combat phase on your turn, untap target creature you control. After this phase, there is an additional combat phase."
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #6074
Zariel, Archduke of Avernus pumps every Devil and imp on your board with a static +1/+1 and gives them haste, then generates a 1/1 Devil token on each combat — all for four mana. The cost is that you're locked into a tribal lane, but if you're playing Devils, Raphael, Fiendish Savior shells in particular, the payoff is immediate and hard to ignore.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Raphael, Fiendish Savior
Raphael, Fiendish Savior is the natural home — Zariel, Archduke of Avernus's token generation feeds Raphael's life-drain trigger every combat, and the haste grant means those tokens threaten damage the turn they arrive.
Zurzoth, Chaos Rider
Zurzoth, Chaos Rider already floods the board with Devils, and Zariel, Archduke of Avernus turns that flood into an immediate attack threat by giving the whole team haste.
Mishra, Claimed by Gix
Mishra, Claimed by Gix wants aggressive creatures that attack early and often; Zariel, Archduke of Avernus provides a steady stream of hasted bodies that keep the pressure on each combat step.
Delina, Wild Mage
Delina, Wild Mage copies creatures on attack, and Zariel, Archduke of Avernus is a high-value target — copying Zariel mid-combat means even more Devils entering with haste that same turn.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Zariel, Archduke of Avernus belongs — the static pump and repeated token generation are built for a 40-life format where you have time to accumulate board presence across multiple combats. In competitive formats like Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer, a four-mana enchantment-adjacent planeswalker that does nothing the turn it arrives simply can't keep up with the pace of play. Oathbreaker is a reasonable niche fit if you're leaning into a Devils-themed build, but the 20-life clock makes the incremental token engine less reliable. Outside of Commander and fringe casual play, Zariel is a decorative card rather than a functional one.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Zariel, Archduke of Avernus isn't currently available, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the live number before buying. Given its narrow tribal application, it tends to sit in the budget-to-mid range — pick it up if you're actively building Devils rather than speculating on broader demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Raphael, Fiendish Savior
- Zurzoth, Chaos Rider
- Mishra, Claimed by Gix
- Delina, Wild Mage
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.