Astarion, the Decadent 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 At the beginning of your end step, choose one — • Feed — Target opponent loses life equal to the amount of life they lost this turn. • Friends — You gain life equal to the amount of life you gained this turn.
Complete guide
Astarion, the Decadent is a powerful Vampire Elf Rogue that excels at doubling your gains or deepening your opponent's losses. With both deathtouch and lifelink, he is a formidable presence on the battlefield that rewards you for active turns. By choosing between his 'Feed' and 'Friends' modes, you can strategically close out a game or stabilize your own health.
Choosing Your Path
Astarion's ability triggers at the beginning of your end step, allowing you to choose one of two modes. The 'Feed' mode targets a specific opponent and makes them lose life based on how much they have already lost during the current turn. The 'Friends' mode focuses on you, granting you life equal to the total amount you have already gained throughout the turn. It is important to note that Astarion checks the total life lost or gained across the entire turn, not just from a single event.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When your end step begins, Astarion's triggered ability goes on the stack and you must choose which mode to use. If you choose 'Feed', you must choose a target opponent. When the ability resolves, the game checks the total life lost by that opponent (or gained by you) since the turn started. The ability then applies the result: the opponent loses the calculated amount of life, or you gain it. Because this happens in the end step, any life lost or gained after this ability resolves will not be counted.
Timing and Strategy
A common mistake is forgetting that Astarion does not care about the 'net' change in life. For example, if an opponent lost 5 life but then gained 3 life earlier in the turn, they still 'lost 5 life' for the purposes of the Feed ability. Similarly, Astarion's lifelink counts toward his own 'Friends' mode if he dealt combat damage earlier in the turn. You should play Astarion in decks that can consistently cause loss of life or gain life during the main phases or combat to maximize his impact.
Interaction examples
Gray Merchant of AsphodelIf you have a devotion to black of 5 and play Gray Merchant of Asphodel, your opponent loses 5 life and you gain 5 life. At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers. If you choose 'Feed', the opponent loses another 5 life (totaling 10). If you choose 'Friends', you gain another 5 life (totaling 10).
Syr Konrad, the GrimSuppose three creatures die during your turn while Syr Konrad, the Grim is on the battlefield, causing your opponent to lose 3 life. When Astarion's end step trigger resolves, choosing 'Feed' will result in that opponent losing an additional 3 life, doubling the effectiveness of Syr Konrad's passive damage for that turn.
Astarion attacks and is not blocked. Because he has lifelink and 4 power, he deals 4 damage and you gain 4 life. During your end step, you choose the 'Friends' mode. Astarion checks how much life you gained this turn (4) and grants you another 4 life, meaning you gained a total of 8 life that turn from his presence alone.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Astarion, the Decadent
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Use the creature's power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine the value of X.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Astarion, the Decadent + Blood Tribute
- 1Cast Blood Tribute by paying
and optionally choosing to tap a Vampire, causing an opponent to lose half their life total, rounded up, and causing you to gain life equal to the life lost this way if you paid the kicker cost. - 2At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing an opponent to lose life equal to the life they lost this turn.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having 0 or less life.
Tree of Perdition + Astarion, the Decadent
- 1Activate Tree of Perdition by tapping it, causing its toughness to become equal to an opponents life total, and causing that opponent to lose life equal to the difference between their life total and Tree of Perdition's toughness as the ability resolved.
- 2At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing the opponent to lose life equal to the life they lost this turn.
Unstoppable Slasher + Astarion, the Decadent
- 1Deal combat damage to an opponent using Unstoppable Slasher
- 2Unstoppable Slasher triggers, causing the defending opponent to lose half their life total, rounded up.
- 3At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing each opponent to lose life equal to the life they've lost this turn.
- 4The opponent dealt combat damage loses the game due to having 0 or less life.
Astarion, the Decadent + Quietus Spike
- 1Deal combat damage to an opponent with the creature that has Quietus Spike attached.
- 2Quietus Spike triggers, causing the opponent to lose half their life total, rounded up.
- 3At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing the opponent to lose life equal to the life they lost this turn.
- 4The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Astarion, the Decadent + Peer into the Abyss
- 1Cast Peer into the Abyss by paying , causing target opponent to draw cards equal to half their library size and lose half their life total, rounding up each time.
- 2At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing the opponent to lose life equal to the life they lost this turn.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Astarion, the Decadent + Fraying Omnipotence
- 1Cast Fraying Omnipotence by paying
, causing each player to lose life equal to half their life total, discard half their hand, and sacrifice half of the creatures they control, rounding up each time. - 2At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing an opponent to lose life equal to the life they lost this turn.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Dark Leo & Shredder + Astarion, the Decadent
- 1Declare Dark Leo & Shredder as an attacker if it's on the battlefield, or another creature you control otherwise.
- 2If Dark Leo & Shredder isn't on the battlefield, when the declared creature is unblocked, cast Dark Leo & Shredder either from your hand or from the command zone for its sneak cost by paying
plus commander tax if applicable and returning the unblocked attacker to your hand. - 3Deal combat damage using Dark Leo & Shredder, triggering its second ability, creating a 1/1 Ninja creature token and causing the opponent to lose half their life total, rounded up.
- 4At the beginning of your end step, Astarion triggers, causing the opponent to lose the rest of their life total.
Betor, Kin to All + Astarion, the Decadent
- 1At the beginning of your end step, Betor and Astarion trigger.
- 2Resolve the Betor trigger, causing each opponent to half their life total, rounded up.
- 3Resolve the Astarion trigger, causing an opponent to lose life equal to the life they've lost this turn.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Astarion, the Decadent
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