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Archaic's Agony

Red

1 printing listed in our catalog, from newest to oldest.

Archaic's Agony, Secrets of Strixhaven printing
Secrets of Strixhaven SOS · No. 107 2026-04-24

Card text

{4}{R}
Sorcery
Converge — Archaic's Agony deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of colors of mana spent to cast this spell. Exile cards from the top of your library equal to the excess damage dealt to that creature this way. You may play those cards until the end of your next turn.
Keywords: Converge
Its past became present became paradox.
EDHREC rank #26807 Uncommon Not on the Reserved List
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Standard ✓ Legal
Pioneer ✓ Legal
Modern ✓ Legal
Legacy ✓ Legal
Vintage ✓ Legal
Pauper ∅ Not legal
Commander ✓ Legal
Oathbreaker ✓ Legal
Brawl ✓ Legal
Historic ✓ Legal
Timeless ✓ Legal
Alchemy ✓ Legal
Explorer ∅ Not legal
Gladiator ✓ Legal
Penny ∅ Not legal
Duel ✓ Legal

Official rulings

7 rulings · in English, source Scryfall

Excess damage has been dealt to a creature if the damage dealt to it is greater than lethal damage. Usually, this means damage greater than its toughness, although damage already marked on the creature is taken into account.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

The maximum number of colors of mana you can spend to cast a spell is five. Colorless is not a color. Note that the cost of a spell with converge may limit how many colors of mana you can spend.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

If you cast a spell with converge without spending any mana to cast it (perhaps because an effect allowed you to cast it without paying its mana cost), then the number of colors spent to cast it will be zero.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

Unless a spell or ability allows you to, you can't choose to pay more mana for a spell with a converge ability just to spend more colors of mana. Likewise, if a spell or ability reduces the amount of mana it costs you to cast a spell with converge, you can't ignore that cost reduction in order to spend more colors of mana.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

If a spell with a converge ability is copied, no mana was spent to cast the copy, so the number of colors of mana spent to cast the spell will be zero. The number of colors spent to cast the original spell is not copied.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

If there are any alternative or additional costs to cast a spell with a converge ability, the colors of mana spent to pay those costs will count.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

In some unusual cases, Archaic's Agony may have deathtouch. Even 1 damage dealt to a creature from a source with deathtouch is considered lethal damage, so any amount greater than that will cause excess damage to be dealt, even if the total amount of damage isn't greater than the creature's toughness.

2026-03-20 · Wizards of the Coast

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