First printed in Torment (2002)

All 5 prints

The List (PLST) #TOR-69, 2024
Masters 25 (A25) #97, 2018
Vintage Masters (VMA) #128, 2014 (digital)
Duel Decks: Sorin vs. Tibalt (DDK) #7, 2013
Torment (TOR) #69, 2002

Mesmeric Fiend

Creature — Nightmare Horror

When this creature enters, target opponent reveals their hand and you choose a nonland card from it. Exile that card.
When this creature leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to its owner's hand.

MTGO price: 0.005 TIX, the cheapest non-foil print (average sell price on GoatBots, 28 Oct 2026).

In the last 30 days 4.5% of Pauper decks played it (86 of 1906). Most played in Mono-Green Elves. In the last 30 days 1.2% of Premodern decks played it (7 of 603). Most played in Hermit Druid.

Staple

Pauper staples: main deck, 4% of decks (#151); sideboard, 4% of decks (#36)
Black, Creatures, Removal

Last 120 days of MTGO results and paper tournaments.

Legality

Constructed

Standard Not legal
Pioneer Not legal
Modern Not legal
Legacy Legal
Vintage Legal
Pauper Legal
Future Standard Not legal
Historic Not legal
Timeless Not legal
Alchemy Not legal
Penny Dreadful Not legal
Premodern Legal
Old School 93/94 Not legal

Singleton

Gladiator Not legal

Commander formats

Commander Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Pauper Commander Legal
PreDH Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Brawl Not legal
Standard Brawl Not legal
Competitive Brawl Not legal

In tournament decks of the last 30 days

Meta: share of the archetype in the format
Play it: decks of the archetype that play this card
Together: decks with this card that also play the other one (main deck)
Lift: how much more often than chance: 1 = unrelated, above 1 = played together on purpose

Pauper Other periods →

In 86 of 1906 decks (4.5%).

Share of decks

4.5%

▲ 0.2 vs previous 30 days

Weekly, last 90 days

Decks

72 main, 71 sideboard

Avg. copies

2.7

in the main deck

Win rate

56%

10 top 8 (challenges only)

Archetypes by metagame share

Archetype	Meta	Play it
Mono-Green Elves	5.6%	1%
Bogles	4.1%	4%
Balustrade Spy	4.0%	96%
BG (unclassified)	0.5%	10%
Mono-Black Sacrifice	0.4%	86%
Mono-Black (unclassified)	0.2%	25%

Played together with

Card	Together	Lift
Balustrade Spy	97%	24.1
Lotleth Giant	97%	22.3
Dread Return	97%	22.3
Wall of Roots	97%	21.8
Saruli Caretaker	97%	21.5
Overgrown Battlement	97%	21.5
Land Grant	97%	14.8
Masked Vandal	97%	10.3
Lead the Stampede	97%	9.6
Sagu Wildling // Roost Seek	97%	9.3

Best win rate

Deck	Record
Mono-Black Sacrifice Kiwighost in the300	7-1 88%
Balustrade Spy Alban Zkw in the300	7-1 88%
Balustrade Spy Pablo Jiménez in FirstQualifier	5-1 83%
Balustrade Spy Ettore Cerracchio in Amsterdam Pauper League – 7° Leg – 2026	4-1 80%
Balustrade Spy Lukas Unbekandt in the300	6-2 75%
Balustrade Spy Enzo Guinat in the300	6-2 75%
Balustrade Spy Colin in the300	6-2 75%
Balustrade Spy John1111 in Pauper Challenge 32	5-2 71%

Challenges only: MTGO publishes only the 5-0 league decks.

Latest decks

Deck	Copies	Finish
Balustrade Spy MoxlessGuy, 27 Oct	2 main 2 side	5-0
Mono-Black Sacrifice EntroPete, 25 Oct	2 side	#5 4-2
Balustrade Spy Jonathan Collins, 24 Oct	2 main 2 side	#14 2-3
Balustrade Spy Joseph Cooper, 24 Oct	4 side	#18 1-3
Balustrade Spy Robert White, 24 Oct	2 main 2 side	#19 1-4
Balustrade Spy Lord_Depa, 24 Oct	4 main	5-0
Balustrade Spy nietoalcora, 23 Oct	3 main 1 side	5-0
Balustrade Spy Pafru, 22 Oct	2 side	#32 1-3

Premodern Other periods →

In 7 of 603 decks (1.2%).

Share of decks

1.2%

▲ 0.6 vs previous 30 days

Weekly, last 90 days

Decks

5 main, 3 sideboard

Avg. copies

1.0

in the main deck

Win rate

40%

0 top 8 (challenges only)