Quick Answer

The Book of Vile Darkness is a mythic Legendary Artifact from AFR (AFR) costing {B}{B}{B}. Current price: $0.51 USD. Legal in Modern. Legal in Commander.

The Book of Vile Darkness MTG card

The Book of Vile Darkness

Legendary Artifact

Card Text

At the beginning of your end step, if you lost 2 or more life this turn, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. {T}, Exile The Book of Vile Darkness and artifacts you control named Eye of Vecna and Hand of Vecna: Create Vecna, a legendary 8/8 black Zombie God creature token with indestructible and all triggered abilities of the exiled cards.

Card Stats

mythic CMC: 3.0 AFR AFR 🎨 Daniel Ljunggren

Market Prices

TCGPlayer
$0.51
Normal
Buy
TCGPlayer
$0.63
Foil
Buy
Card Kingdom
$0.99
Normal
Buy
Card Kingdom
$1.49
Foil
Buy
Cardmarket
€0.72
Normal
Buy
Cardmarket
€0.86
Foil
Buy
Prices updated: 2025-12-04

Format Legality

Brawl Legal
Commander Legal
Duel Legal
Gladiator Legal
Historic Legal
Legacy Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Penny Legal
Pioneer Legal
Timeless Legal
Vintage Legal

Similar Cards

Other Printings (6 total)

Community Stats

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Decks Using This Card
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Comments

Often Played With

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Book of Vile Darkness? Basics

The Book of Vile Darkness is a Legendary Artifact card from the Magic: The Gathering trading card game.

Its ability reads: "At the beginning of your end step, if you lost 2 or more life this turn, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. {T}, Exile The Book of Vile Darkness and artifacts you control named Eye of Vecna and Hand of Vecna: Create Vecna, a legendary 8/8 black Zombie God creature token with indestructible and all triggered abilities of the exiled cards."

How much mana does The Book of Vile Darkness cost to cast? Basics

The Book of Vile Darkness has a mana cost of {B}{B}{B}, which equals 3.0 total mana (converted mana cost/mana value).

It requires B mana to cast.

What does mana cost mean in Magic: The Gathering? Basics

Mana cost is the amount and type of mana required to cast a spell in Magic: The Gathering.

The Book of Vile Darkness's mana cost of {B}{B}{B} means you need to pay that much mana from your lands or other sources.

Colored symbols (W=White, U=Blue, B=Black, R=Red, G=Green) must be paid with that specific color, while numbers can be paid with any color.

What is converted mana cost (CMC) or mana value? Basics

Converted mana cost (now officially called "mana value") is the total amount of mana in a card's mana cost, regardless of color.

The Book of Vile Darkness has a mana value of 3.0. This is important for effects that care about a spell's total cost, like cascade or cards that say "mana value 3 or less."

What is oracle text? Basics

Oracle text is the official, current rules text for a Magic card as maintained by Wizards of the Coast. It supersedes any printed text on older cards.

The Book of Vile Darkness's current oracle text is: "At the beginning of your end step, if you lost 2 or more life this turn, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token. {T}, Exile The Book of Vile Darkness and artifacts you control named Eye of Vecna and Hand of Vecna: Create Vecna, a legendary 8/8 black Zombie God creature token with indestructible and all triggered abilities of the exiled cards."

What is the current price of The Book of Vile Darkness? Pricing

The current market price for The Book of Vile Darkness is approximately $0.51 USD on TCGPlayer.

A foil copy costs approximately $0.63 USD.

On Cardmarket (Europe), it's approximately €0.72 EUR.

Where can I buy The Book of Vile Darkness? Pricing

You can purchase The Book of Vile Darkness from major MTG retailers including:

Prices vary by condition and printing. Check multiple sellers to find the best price.

What is the difference between normal and foil cards? Pricing

Foil cards have a shiny, holographic finish that makes them more collectible. They are functionally identical to normal cards but typically cost more due to their rarity and visual appeal.

The Book of Vile Darkness normal: $0.51 | foil: $0.63

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Standard? Legality

Format legality information for The Book of Vile Darkness in Standard is not available.

Standard is a rotating format that only allows cards from the most recent sets.

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Modern? Legality

The Book of Vile Darkness is Legal in Modern format.

Modern includes all cards printed in a standard-legal set from 8th Edition forward.

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Commander (EDH)? Legality

The Book of Vile Darkness is Legal in Commander (EDH) format.

Commander is a casual multiplayer format where you build a 100-card singleton deck around a legendary creature.

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Pioneer? Legality

The Book of Vile Darkness is Legal in Pioneer format.

Pioneer is a non-rotating format that includes all standard-legal sets from Return to Ravnica forward.

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Legacy? Legality

The Book of Vile Darkness is Legal in Legacy format.

Legacy allows almost all cards ever printed, with a substantial ban list for balance.

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Vintage? Legality

The Book of Vile Darkness is Legal in Vintage format.

Vintage is the most permissive format, allowing almost all cards with only a minimal ban list. Some powerful cards are "Restricted" (limited to 1 copy).

Is The Book of Vile Darkness legal in Pauper? Legality

Format legality information for The Book of Vile Darkness in Pauper is not available.

Pauper only allows cards that have been printed at common rarity in a paper or online set.

What is format legality in MTG? Legality

Format legality indicates which official MTG formats allow a card to be played:

  • Legal: Card is allowed in the format
  • Banned: Card is prohibited from play
  • Restricted: Limited to 1 copy (Vintage only)
  • Not Legal: Card was never part of that format's card pool

Different formats have different banned lists based on power level and game balance.

What set is The Book of Vile Darkness from? Details

This printing of The Book of Vile Darkness is from AFR (AFR), with collector number 91.

The Book of Vile Darkness may also appear in other MTG sets with different art or special treatments.

What is The Book of Vile Darkness's rarity? Details

The Book of Vile Darkness is a mythic card in AFR.

Card rarity affects both availability and price. From rarest to most common: Mythic Rare → Rare → Uncommon → Common.

Who illustrated The Book of Vile Darkness? Details

The Book of Vile Darkness was illustrated by Daniel Ljunggren.

Magic: The Gathering features artwork from hundreds of talented artists, and many cards have been reprinted with new art over the years.

💬 Card Discussion

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