Nettle Drone MTG Card


Nettle Drone - Battle for Zendikar
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Eldrazi Drone
Abilities Devoid
Released2015-10-02
Set symbol
Set nameBattle for Zendikar
Set codeBFZ
Power 3
Toughness 1
Number131
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byClint Cearley

Key Takeaways

  1. Optimal in colorless spell-heavy decks, enabling resource acceleration and damage output.
  2. Interactive play with instant spells, enhancing board state adaptability and surprise tactics.
  3. Strategic addition for decks exploiting casting triggers for repeated untap and damage.

Text of card

Devoid (This card has no color.): Nettle Drone deals 1 damage to each opponent. Whenever you cast a colorless spell, untap Nettle Drone.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nettle Drone brings a unique mechanism that assists you in chipping away at your opponent’s life total while enabling the cast of other spells. This becomes especially relevant in decks focused on casting colorless spells multiple times during a turn, thereby untapping Nettle Drone for potential multiple activations.

Resource Acceleration: Within the right deck, such as those featuring artifacts or colorless spells, Nettle Drone can essentially become a tool for resource acceleration. It allows you to untap it whenever you cast a colorless spell, potentially creating a loop that helps you cast more spells or utilize additional abilities each turn.

Instant Speed: While Nettle Drone itself does not operate at instant speed, its ability to untap every time you cast a colorless spell means it interacts well with instant-speed spells in your arsenal. This adds a layer of flexibility to your gameplay, enabling you to adapt to the current state of the board and respond to your opponent’s actions with surprise taps or untaps.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Nettle Drone doesn’t require a card to be discarded, it does necessitate a specific board state to be fully effective. For players without a strategy focused on colorless spells, Nettle Drone can be less valuable.

Specific Mana Cost: Nettle Drone requires a colorless mana for its untap ability, which can be restrictive. Players must ensure they have the right type of mana generation to use its untap feature consistently, potentially limiting the card’s utility in decks not focused on colorless spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for a 3/1 creature, Nettle Drone might be considered inefficient compared to other creatures in the same mana range. It competes with other impactful three-mana creatures and may not always be the optimal choice for a player’s curve or strategy.


Reasons to Include Nettle Drone in Your Collection

Versatility: Nettle Drone is a flexible card that can seamlessly integrate into various red or Eldrazi decks due to its ability to untap after you cast a colorless spell, allowing for a more dynamic play style.

Combo Potential: This creature shines in combinations, particularly with cards that allow for numerous colorless spell casts in a single turn, enabling repeated damage without needing to attack.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where aggressive strategies are advantageous, Nettle Drone offers consistent pressure that can quickly whittle down an opponent’s life total, making it a worthy consideration for your deck.


How to beat Nettle Drone

Nettle Drone is a creature card that has established its place in decks focusing on colorless spells and artifacts in MTG. It shines in environments where you can untap it multiple times in a turn, capitalizing on its ability to deal damage to your opponent. A prime contender in the Eldrazi sets, Nettle Drone requires a strategy to effectively counter.

To overcome Nettle Drone, consider cards that hinder activated abilities or remove creatures from play before they become a persistent threat. Authority of the Consuls is a superb example, as it forces Nettle Drone to enter the battlefield tapped, thus limiting its potential for immediate impact. For a more proactive approach, instants like Lightning Bolt or Fatal Push can eliminate Nettle Drone outright, curbing its menacing presence early on.

Overall, creating a game plan that includes removal options or ways to incapacitate abilities is crucial. This strategy ensures that you can handle creatures like Nettle Drone and maintain control of the game. Keep in mind that swift reactions and preemptive measures are key in keeping such persistent threats at bay.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the intricacies of MTG gameplay is a continuous process, and cards like Nettle Drone demonstrate the depth of strategy involved. With its unique synergy with colorless spells, Nettle Drone can be a game-changer, contributing to an aggressive gameplay style. As you refine your deck and consider new additions, remember that versatility and combo potential are valuable assets. Whether you’re looking to reign supreme in your local meta or simply want to add some firepower to your red or Eldrazi-themed deck, learning how to maximize cards like Nettle Drone is key. Embark on this journey with us and discover strategies to incorporate Nettle Drone into your deck for a competitive edge.


Cards like Nettle Drone

Nettle Drone occupies a unique space in MTG as a creature capable of dealing direct damage to opponents. Much like the renowned Prodigal Pyromancer, Nettle Drone also offers the opportunity for repetitive damage output. Nonetheless, Nettle Drone has an edge due to its synergy with colorless spells, allowing it to untap and potentially deal damage multiple times in a single turn.

Comparatively looking at Cunning Sparkmage, another card with the potential for recurrent damage, Nettle Drone stands out with a higher power, convergence with the Devoid mechanic, and the untap capability. While Cunning Sparkmage can target creatures, providing control over the board, Nettle Drone’s focus leans toward an aggressive strategy, incentivizing the casting of colorless spells. Similarly, Gelectrode offers a parallel effect, able to untap whenever you cast an instant or sorcery. However, Nettle Drone distinguishes itself within the Eldrazi-centric builds, specifically designed to leverage the vast expanse of colorless spells in the game.

In essence, for players keen on an aggressive approach that rewards casting numerous spells, Nettle Drone stands as a compelling option, blending synergistic untap abilities with consistent damage potential in MTG.

Prodigal Pyromancer - MTG Card versions
Cunning Sparkmage - MTG Card versions
Gelectrode - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Pyromancer - Planar Chaos (PLC)
Cunning Sparkmage - Worldwake (WWK)
Gelectrode - Guildpact (GPT)

Cards similar to Nettle Drone by color, type and mana cost

Dwarven Warriors - MTG Card versions
Raging Bull - MTG Card versions
Wall of Lava - MTG Card versions
Brassclaw Orcs - MTG Card versions
Imperial Recruiter - MTG Card versions
Uthden Troll - MTG Card versions
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions
Goblin Rabblemaster - MTG Card versions
Nosy Goblin - MTG Card versions
Goblin Sky Raider - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Larva - MTG Card versions
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions
Ghost-Lit Raider - MTG Card versions
Goblin Chariot - MTG Card versions
Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions
Basalt Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Orcish Artillery - MTG Card versions
Stinkdrinker Daredevil - MTG Card versions
Blind-Spot Giant - MTG Card versions
Mudbutton Torchrunner - MTG Card versions
Dwarven Warriors - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Raging Bull - Legends (LEG)
Wall of Lava - Ice Age (ICE)
Brassclaw Orcs - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Imperial Recruiter - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Uthden Troll - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Goblin Rabblemaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Nosy Goblin - Onslaught (ONS)
Goblin Sky Raider - Onslaught (ONS)
Cosmic Larva - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ghost-Lit Raider - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Goblin Chariot - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Balduvian Barbarians - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Basalt Gargoyle - Time Spiral (TSP)
Orcish Artillery - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Stinkdrinker Daredevil - Lorwyn (LRW)
Blind-Spot Giant - Lorwyn (LRW)
Mudbutton Torchrunner - Duel Decks: Elves vs. Goblins (DD1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nettle Drone MTG card by a specific set like Battle for Zendikar, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Nettle Drone and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nettle Drone has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Nettle Drone card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2015-08-25 A card with devoid is just colorless. It’s not colorless and the colors of mana in its mana cost.
2015-08-25 Cards with devoid use frames that are variations of the transparent frame traditionally used for Eldrazi. The top part of the card features some color over a background based on the texture of the hedrons that once imprisoned the Eldrazi. This coloration is intended to aid deckbuilding and game play.
2015-08-25 Devoid works in all zones, not just on the battlefield.
2015-08-25 If a card loses devoid, it will still be colorless. This is because effects that change an object’s color (like the one created by devoid) are considered before the object loses devoid.
2015-08-25 Other cards and abilities can give a card with devoid color. If that happens, it’s just the new color, not that color and colorless.

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