Tar Fiend
~$0.35 low · ~$0.37 high
Black. Creature — Elemental
Shards of Alara #89 · Illustrated by Anthony S. Waters
Shards of Alara #89 · Illustrated by Anthony S. WatersWhat is Tar Fiend worth?
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
Devour 2 (As this creature enters, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. It enters with twice that many +1/+1 counters on it.)
When this creature enters, target player discards a card for each creature it devoured.
4/4
Format legality
The only printing of Tar Fiend
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Shards of Alara ala #89· 2008rare· Cardmarket €0.16 · €0.83 foil | rare | $0.35 | $0.37 | €0.16€0.83 foil |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy Tar Fiend
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Card details
- First printed
- 2008
- Printings
- 1
- Mana value
- 6
- EDHREC rank
- #25,516 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Keywords
- Devour
- Artist
- Anthony S. Waters
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the Shards of Alara card (#89).
89
- 89Collector number: this card's place in the set list. Main-set cards print it over the set's card count.
Cards from 1998 to mid-2014 print the collector number over the set's card count (like 90/383) next to the copyright line. They have no rarity letter, set code or language code: the set symbol and its colour show the set and rarity.
How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.
Card breakdown
The parts of Tar Fiend, read from the Shards of Alara printing. How to read any Magic card.
- Name
- Tar Fiend. Rules use the English name in every language.
- Mana cost
- Mana value 6: the total mana in the cost, colors ignored.
- Type line
- Creature is the card type. Elemental is the subtype, after the dash.
- Text box
- What the card does. Italic text in brackets is reminder text: it explains a rule and has no effect on the game.
- Power / toughness
- 4/4: power is the combat damage it deals; toughness is how much damage destroys it.
- Illustration
- By Anthony S. Waters. The art has no effect on the game.
- Set symbol
- Shards of Alara. Gold means rare.
- Collector number
- 89 = collector number: this card's place in the set list. Main-set cards print it over the set's card count.
- Artist
- Anthony S. Waters, after the paintbrush.
- Copyright
- Wizards of the Coast's copyright notice, with the year.
Keywords
- DevourCR 702.82
- Defined in the Comprehensive Rules at the rule above.
Rule numbers from the Magic Comprehensive Rules, version of September 25, 2026.
Rulings (4)
2008-10-01
If you cast this as a spell, you choose how many and which creatures to devour as part of the resolution of that spell. (It can't be countered at this point.) The same is true of a spell or ability that lets you put a creature with devour onto the battlefield.
2008-10-01
You may choose not to sacrifice any creatures for the Devour ability.
2008-10-01
You may sacrifice only creatures that are already on the battlefield. If a creature with devour and another creature are entering under your control at the same time, the creature with devour can't devour that other creature. The creature with devour also can't devour itself.
2008-10-01
If multiple creatures with devour are entering under your control at the same time, you may use each one's devour ability. A creature you already control can be devoured by only one of them, however. (In other words, you can't sacrifice the same creature to satisfy multiple devour abilities.) All creatures devoured this way are sacrificed at the same time.
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