Wizards of the Coast debuted Magic: The Gathering‘s special Archenemy format way back in 2010, with pre-constructed decks designed specifically for co-op enemy takedowns. In the latest MTG set, Duskmourn, Wizards reintroduces the mechanic with a core twist: it’s now entirely compatible with Commander format, and gameplay is guided by the reveal of new large-format Archenemy “scheme” cards.
During a recent MTG: Duskmourn release event, GamesHub went hands-on with this new iteration of Archenemy, and found it to be absolutely wonderful, and entirely horrific. It’s a fantastic twist to games of Commander, and elements of co-op make it a stand-out add-on, even when scheme cards completely shatter your pod’s hopes and dreams.
For quick reference, Archenemy is typically played as a 3v1 game where all players use Commander Decks and one player, the titular Archenemy, has an additional deck of scheme cards, one of which is drawn each turn. These scheme cards are the core difference that makes Archenemy work well: the “villain” player will get additional abilities per turn, with many of these providing an advantage, and room to get ahead of other players.
Playing MTG: Duskmourn’s Archenemy
In my particular Archenemy playthrough, we actually had a fourth player against the villain (it wouldn’t have been nice to leave a friend out) and I must say – I don’t think that gave us an advantage at all. We were still fighting tooth and nail to the bitter end of our game, and we still lost to our villain’s schemes.
Throughout it all, Archenemy proved to be a clever, high-stakes playing format requiring much thought, and plenty of ingenuity to stay alive.
Our pod’s trouble began with an early spot of luck: the first card drawn by our Archenemy allowed him to spawn an array of demonic beasties, to which we had no defence. This was before we were even able to place our first lands. So, first turn, immediate damage.
By the second turn, we had one creature on the battlefield, but even then, we were facing down an already-expanding army, buoyed by lucky scheme card draws and clever plays from our Archenemy. With several rounds passed, there was a veritable army of Archenemy creatures on the battlefield, all buoyed by some scheme effect or another. Some cards give +1/+1 counters, others give ward. Some let you board wipe, and others manifest token scarecrows.
It was increasingly difficult to combat these effects, and it wasn’t helped by a series of bad card draws on the “good guy” side. I was playing the MTG: Duskmourn Miracle Worker deck, and managed to miss quite a few land drops before I was able to get my enchantments and sorceries working overtime to create angels and buffs.
Somehow, while trying to get my deck synergies moving, our Archenemy managed to summon a 40/40 creature, and you can probably guess how the rest of the battle went. There were some triumphs on our side. GamesHub managing editor Steph Panecasio managed to boost our health pool by about 15 points thanks to a card effect, and also managed to hit our Archenemy for a handful of points in the same turn.
Team work, dream work, etc.
In the course of our game, one thing become clear: team work is essential, and the need to plan effectively adds layers to the Archenemy experience. At first, the good guys were working independently, and getting beaten down with every move. Then, one of our players put their arms up and said, “Stop. We need to plan this out.” That’s the moment hope dawned.
With a shared health bar (both sides have 60 health in this version of Archenemy), every move you make naturally carries some responsibility. If you whiff on your moves and do something silly, your entire team suffers. There’s also the matter that Commander Decks contain cards which impact each player, so you need to consider whether your moves will actually stuff around your team, as well.
At multiple points in the game, one of us had access to a board wipe. But a board wipe impacts everyone, so there needed to be discussions about when to use it, for what purpose, and how desperate our situation should be. One of the board wipes benefitted me immensely, as it turned out – because it kept an angel-making enchantment in place, and every time I played a new enchantment from my hand, I was able to spawn more angels.
Having those discussions was a great bonding activity. Each move required deep thinking, and with players of all experience levels on the “good guy” team, it meant hearing a range of perspectives and tactical ideas. It meant anticipating the Archenemy’s moves, and attempting to counter and block everything thrown our way at once, and then gearing up to build our forces once again.
It did mean having to sacrifice our occasion advantage to protect our health, as our Archenemy got tricky with pushbacks and creature generation. But even as we headed for defeat, surviving remained incredibly satisfying. We survived against the 40/40 creature! If only for a moment, at least.
Everyone should try MTG‘s Archenemy format at least once
In the end, Archenemy did not go the way I had expected. With four players against one (which is technically not how you’re supposed to play), I assumed the collective might of the good guys would completely nuke any advantage provided by the Archenemy scheme cards. Surely, I thought. Surely the impacts can’t be that devastating. Of course, I was wrong – and with a talented player wielding the scheme deck, they managed to unleash all sorts of horrors.
Creatures were being buffed every turn. More creatures were being summoned. Ward made it difficult to get attacks through. An extra turn spelled our end, as the Archenemy decimated our forces, and then got free rein to decimate them again. There were board wipes, and demons, and everything in between.
It was wild and glorious, and more than a little bit humbling. I would heartily recommend the experience to anyone, and particularly those players who might be feeling a bit burned out on regular games of Commander.
Archenemy is a way to spice up the vibes of any pods, and keep the action fresh with a team-based approach. It feels very thematic for Duskmourn, as it’s built around the idea of an all-powerful, God-like villain, but it should work well with any Commander Deck, custom or pre-con.
Personally, it’s made me think a lot about making a dedicated The Mummy (2017) MTG Commander Deck, with a stand-in for Ahmanet as a Commander for a horde of Zombie-type Mummy creatures. Really, the possibilities are endless with Archenemy, as is the creativity it spawns.
GamesHub was invited to attend an MTG: Duskmourn launch event by Wizards of the Coast. We were provided Commander Decks for the purposes of reviews and impressions.
