Again, have to agree with Jay :) Excellent for Semi-discard, it can be a great jump start for so many different deck types. Fun to play with too, its an certain lure as soon as it hits the field. Should see play on the first turn 2nd at the latest. Great card!

  -- By Neil Gordon from Minneapolis, Mn on July 21, 2011

Belongs in recursion decks as a viable beatstick with evasion + discard medium. To all the people scoffing at this card saying "It dies too easy", "Lightning Bolt food", "You never want to discard cards and be at card disadvantage" Blah Blah Blah, don't know how to play, or play only Zero risk/Combo decks that are simply BORING and probably Net-Decked. The fact remains, not everyone plays R, or runs pure creature hate(probably a bunch in sideboard though, if you're smart); and sometimes you want to discard things such as Basking Rootwalla, Fiery Temper, or Big Game Hunter(Madness) because it becomes cheaper to play then; or Recurable creatures like Reya, Akroma, Inkwell Leviathan. And even if it does eventually get removed, if you got 1 or 2 attacks with it it's already paid for it's costs.

  -- By Jay from Minneapolis, MN USA on December 27, 2010

Why is everyone so worried it might get killed? Everything in magic can be gotten rid of and often in a myriad of ways so if your gonna diss a card becouse of it then stop playing cuz you wont find ANY good cards with that attitude. This card is great, its "drawback" can work in your favor in ALOT of black decks. Whats more is the cost of 3, which makes it possible to easily get out turn 1 with a dark ritual. A flying 5/3 on turn one is insane and as pointed out by others, it takes full advantage of fist of the demigod which is one of the few worthwhile creature enchantments at all IMO. Its a really good card and if you cant see that, your n00b.

  -- By Boss Hog from Hazard County on May 26, 2010

LOVE IT! Play one at your first turn with a dark ritual, the next turn you enchant it with "fists of the demigod", you got yourself a 7/5 with wither & first strike. :D Would especially work good in a unearth deck, as you can discard big creatures and get them in with some unearth spell!

  -- By Fabian from Sweden on April 24, 2010

Oh jeez. Man I have pulled this card out so many times on the first turn with a rit, it's kinda scary. It works like a charm, and especially helps with the rakdos Hellbent ability.

  -- By Anonymous from Anonymous on March 10, 2009

I have such plans for this card once shadowmoor comes out. Toss it in a deck with four of the demigod, some buried alives and a few black search cards, before you know it, you'll have a tonne of 5 power flyers hastily kicking your opponent in the junk!

  -- By Eric from Lethbridge, ALberta Canada on April 19, 2008

This card is really sweet a 5/3 flier for 3 mana. It works really well in a madness deck. Every card you throw away you play for cheap. What more do you need? Granted the 3 toughness is kind of scary because there isn't much worse then making a huge sacrifice and then loosing the card right afterwords. But with this type of power (dealing 5 dmg on turn 3!) it's worth the risk.

  -- By Seth from Florida on April 11, 2008

Not really good unless it's in a Rakdos deck, somewhat powerful, and will help you get hellbent. Too bad it doesn't have a hellbent ability, that would be awesome.

  -- By Mike from planet on February 08, 2008

I love smother

  -- By Anonymous from Salinas, California on July 29, 2007

helix and char=death all the non black kill means non red wil have to toe to t it inhe air or counter and losing it = an net card disadvantage of 3 so not to great, if it discarded one card it be ok perhaps constucted usble dont be so hard on psh bolt you dont play things like this in 1.0 or 1.5

  -- By sean from canada on July 23, 2007

So first turn, swamp, dark ritual, avatar, discard two good creatures. Next turn, land, exhume creature. Absolutely wonderful in reanimator. Basically a compeltely free flyer that only speeds up your deck by you discarding.

  -- By Mike from New York on June 14, 2007

Very sexy card. Hellbent cam be a very cheap, quick way to give your cards extra power, and Avatar of Discord helps with that a lot, while at the same time being (if you think of the discards as an advantage due to Hellbent and/or madness and/or threshold and/or reanimation effects) an incredibly powerful, cheap card. And to Anonymous from Canada, the "his" in the flavor text refers to Rakdos, as in Rakdos the Defiler, the leader of the Rakdos guild. The flavor text is implying that the Avatar of Discord is the shadow of Rakdos the Defiler. I'd guess by the body shape that the Avatar itself is female.

  -- By Evan from Ohio on May 08, 2007

This card will empower every single reanimator deck out there. 1st turn drop with rit, then just follow it up the next turn with an exhume, and its game over, have fun dealing with 2 5+ creatures

  -- By Cody from Toronto, ON, CANADA on March 28, 2007

This card is real awsome, the discard effect can be put to use by playing madness costs for cards such as fiery temper to give you a bigger advantage. I'm not sure but referring to the flavor text i would believe that the Avatar of Discord is a male (Keyword his).

  -- By Anonymous from Canada on February 06, 2007

ah see this is one of thoes tricky cards,any good player will over look this due to the discarding,on turn 3 or 4 burning to cards for it is a big hit,i mean a lightning bolt (in all good red decks) costs 1 and kills this thing,besides B or R so u throw away power or burn,hummmmmmmmmmm,i say none i pass on this card because only way it helps is if u have a "hellbent" deck which sorry to say are iffy in there own right..any way,only place i see a use for this card on so far as turn 3 is if u facing a straight up white deck with slow play....reds burn owns it,greens power with spider silk armor is pwnage and blacks straight up ability to kill it so....have fun playin around with this crap.

  -- By Anonymous from michigan on November 07, 2006

I, personally, like these kinds of cards. They allow you to play the card if you have Mountain, Swamp, or both on the field. Not only that, but it has flying. That's also a plus. The best part though is it's attack. You can hit fives with flying while you only have 3 lands out. All around, its an awesome card.

  -- By Michael Reynolds from Brownsburg, IN USA on October 04, 2006

Who sez' this was just goin to be your creature? Besides, know how to protect your avatar if you know how to. It doen'nt have hellbent, but it will help in the deck for other creatures. Try it sometimes. It's still a 5/3 flyer, try to be contented for once.

  -- By Anonymous from Matrix on September 15, 2006

This card is a crap:P There are no hellbent deck in TYPE 2 and loosing two cards for sth what can be burned with lightening helix is a big mistake. In extend and type 1 card like this doesn't even exist in players awareness.

  -- By By_BOR from POLAND on August 18, 2006

this card is horrible yes it is a 5/3 for 3 mana and you get zero cards in your hand but its to vulnerable and its not hellbent

  -- By Anonymous from whitelake Mi Usa on August 07, 2006

Whao! I really love this girl. For 3 mana you get a 5/3 flyer! And it helps you get hellbent easily! >;p A very solid woman indeed! And yes... Avatar of Discard ehehe..

  -- By Anonymous from beside rakdos on August 07, 2006

This card is the future of magic.This card is the next Genaration burn and Suicide. I'd like to see what it can do at nationals.( has any one noticed that if you replace the O with an A, you get discard.)

  -- By Luke from South Africa on June 07, 2006

Well this card is different, but is possible one of the best cards in the Ravnica block, easily because it can also be used for normal constructed play, even as a massive stick in pure red burn decks, finishing another player in just a few if they let it go unoticed. Expect this to be seen eveywhere and grab them up now whenever you can so noone else can have one (like me lol)

  -- By Charles Burns from Mesquite, TX USA on May 23, 2006

A 5/3 for only 3 mana with flaying????? This is like one of the best cards in the dissension series. It also helps you get zero cards in you hand.

  -- By Anonymous from Battle Creek, MI USA on May 10, 2006