Archenemy is a multiplayer Magic format in which players unite against a common foe—the "Archenemy"—whose power is multiplied by a second deck of twenty "scheme" cards designed to even the odds.

In Archenemy: Nicol Bolas, one player takes on the role of the elder dragon Planeswalker while the rest unite to meet the challenge. The set includes four ready-to-play sixty-card decks, plus all new scheme cards that affect the game in powerful ways.