Arvad the Cursed is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Deathtouch, lifelink Other legendary creatures you control get +2/+2.
Complete guide
Arvad the Cursed is a powerful Vampire Knight who serves as a formidable lord for your legendary forces. With his combination of deathtouch and lifelink, he is both a dangerous blocker and a source of vital recovery. Most importantly, he provides a massive +2/+2 boost to your other legendary creatures, turning a team of heroes into an unstoppable army.
A Beacon for Heroes
Arvad the Cursed has a static ability that grants other legendary creatures you control +2/+2. This effect is continuous and does not use the stack; as long as Arvad is on the battlefield, your other legends receive the buff. Additionally, Arvad possesses deathtouch, meaning any amount of damage he deals to a creature is enough to destroy it, and lifelink, which causes you to gain life equal to the damage he deals.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When Arvad the Cursed enters the battlefield, he immediately checks for other legendary creatures under your control. Those creatures gain +2/+2 instantly. Unlike an activated or triggered ability, there is no window for opponents to respond between Arvad entering and your creatures becoming larger. If Arvad leaves the battlefield, the bonus vanishes immediately. This can be dangerous during combat or if damage has already been marked on your other creatures.
Fragile Might
A common mistake involves forgetting that damage stays marked on creatures until the cleanup step at the end of the turn. If a legendary 3/3 creature you control takes 4 damage while Arvad is out (making it a 5/5), it survives. However, if Arvad is destroyed later that same turn, that creature returns to being a 3/3 while still having 4 damage marked on it. This results in the creature being destroyed due to state-based actions.
Strategic Deployment
Arvad is best played in decks featuring a high density of legendary permanents. Because his bonus is static, he is particularly effective against 'damage-based' board wipes like Pyroclasm, as he raises the toughness of your other key creatures out of kill range the moment he hits the table.
Interaction examples
On his own, Arvad the Cursed is a 3/3 creature. If he blocks a creature with 10 toughness, his deathtouch ensures that creature is destroyed. Simultaneously, his lifelink will gain you 3 life regardless of whether the damage dealt was 'lethal' to the attacker.
Solemn SimulacrumWhen you control both Arvad and Solemn Simulacrum, the Simulacrum remains a 2/2. Because Solemn Simulacrum does not have the 'Legendary' supertype, it does not receive the +2/+2 bonus from Arvad's static ability.
Roaming ThroneIf Roaming Throne enters the battlefield and you choose 'Vampire' or 'Knight', it becomes that type. However, Arvad's +2/+2 effect is a static ability, not a triggered ability. Therefore, Roaming Throne's ability to double triggers will not interact with Arvad's anthem. Since Roaming Throne is not legendary itself, it also does not receive the +2/+2 bonus from Arvad.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Arvad the Cursed
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a legendary creature you control may become lethal if Arvad leaves the battlefield during that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Arvad the Cursed
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.