Nessian Wilds Ravager MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Hydra
Abilities Fight,Tribute
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Nessian Wilds Ravager offers either a potent removal option or a significantly boosted creature on entry.
  2. Can accelerate your game plan with its size and potential for immediate board influence.
  3. Tribute mechanic demands strategic play, compelling opponents to make difficult decisions.

Text of card

Tribute 6 (As this creature enters the battlefield, an opponent of your choice may put six +1/+1 counters on it.) When Nessian Wilds Ravager enters the battlefield, if tribute wasn't paid, you may have Nessian Wilds Ravager fight another target creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)


Card Pros

If you’re strategically weaving your deck around the strengths of Nessian Wilds Ravager, there are a few notable pros that might capture your attention.

Card Advantage: Nessian Wilds Ravager is a powerhouse when it comes to getting ahead in card value. Upon entering the battlefield, it either fights another creature or enters with an additional five +1/+1 counters if the tribute isn’t paid. This versatile ability can eliminate an opponent’s key threat or, alternatively, give you a massive creature, leading to a significant advantage.

Resource Acceleration: Resource-wise, this creature can be a game-changer. Being a 6/6 for six mana is already a decent rate, but with the potential to be an 11/11, it becomes an excellent accelerator in dealing damage and ending the game quickly. In decks geared towards high-power creatures and ramping, Nessian Wilds Ravager fits in perfectly, speeding up your win condition.

Instant Speed: While Nessian Wilds Ravager itself is not an instant, it interacts well with cards that operate at instant speed. Being a formidable creature, it forces the opponent to play more cautiously, saving instant speed removals or tricks for it and therefore potentially giving you an indirect advantage as you play other spells.

Deploy Nessian Wilds Ravager at the right moment to tilt the scales, whether you’re aiming for a colossal creature to dominate the board or removing a problematic creature your opponent controls.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One considerable drawback of Nessian Wilds Ravager is the potential to discard a card when its tribute isn’t paid. This can put players at a disadvantage, especially in tight situations where hand size matters.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes triple green, Nessian Wilds Ravager necessitates a heavy commitment to green mana. This can be restrictive, making it less versatile and harder to incorporate into multi-colored decks that aren’t heavily green-centric.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Nessian Wilds Ravager comes at a six mana value. In competitive play, using six mana on a single creature that doesn’t have an immediate game-changing effect may not be the most economical use of resources, especially considering other creatures or spells available at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Nessian Wilds Ravager brings flexibility to various deck archetypes. As a creature with a strong power/toughness ratio and an ability that either scales it up or eliminates a threat, it can serve multiple roles depending on the game situation.

Combo Potential: With the capability to fight another target creature upon entering the battlefield, it integrates seamlessly into decks that capitalize on such interactions. It can act as both an enabler and beneficiary in decks built around creature-based strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where big creatures matter and board control is key, Nessian Wilds Ravager stands out as a creature that can strongly influence the battlefield. Its role in the current meta can shift from a formidable individual threat to a key piece in resolving stalemates.


How to beat

Nessian Wilds Ravager is a formidable creature card that can pose a significant threat on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. With a power that allows it to fight another target creature upon entering the battlefield, it’s capable of disrupting your opponent’s strategy. To effectively counter this card, it’s essential to have a game plan that includes removal spells or counterspells.

Employing instant-speed removal options such as Murder or Hero’s Downfall ensures you can respond to the Ravager’s triggered ability, removing it before it can eliminate one of your important creatures. Additionally, leveraging counterspells like Cancel or Essence Scatter not only prevents it from entering play but also conserves your resources.

Mechanically, giving your creatures indestructibility for a turn with spells like Make a Stand or utilizing effects that prevent damage, like those from The Wanderer, can save them from the deadly fight ability of the Nessian Wilds Ravager. Other strategies include sacrificing your creatures for an effect before the fight resolves or bouncing your important creatures back to your hand. Each of these strategies diminishes the impact of the Ravager, maintaining control and momentum on your side of the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the art of Magic: The Gathering is a dynamic journey that stretches beyond individual victories. With creatures like Nessian Wilds Ravager offering versatile gameplay and strategic depth, building an adaptive MTG deck becomes an engaging challenge. Delving into the attributes and counterplay strategies for such potent cards is crucial in broadening your tactical horizon. Whether you aim to harness the Ravager’s raw power or seek out effective counters, a well-informed approach elevates your playing field. Join our community of enthusiasts and learn how to optimize your deck’s potential to triumph in the ever-evolving MTG landscape. Uncover the wisdom behind each card and let your skills flourish.


Cards like Nessian Wilds Ravager

When looking at Nessian Wilds Ravager in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering creatures, it aligns with the potent fighters that offer versatility upon entering the battlefield. The Ravager draws a parallel to cards like Thrashing Brontodon, with a similar mana cost and the ability to create an immediate impact on the game—albeit through different abilities. While Thrashing Brontodon offers utility in artifact and enchantment destruction, Nessian Wilds Ravager presents a dual choice of either becoming a powerhouse with +1/+1 counters or fighting another creature, potentially swinging the board in your favor.

Another beastly counterpart worth mentioning is Polukranos, World Eater. This formidable creature also excels at controlling the board by fighting opponent’s creatures. However, unlike Nessian Wilds Ravager, Polukranos leans on its monstrosity ability, which doesn’t provide the immediate choice upon entering the battlefield but does offer repeated utility throughout the game.

Ultimately, Nessian Wilds Ravager holds a unique position with its modal entrance, giving players a tactical decision that can shape the outcome of the match, delivering both the threat of a large creature and the utility of removal akin to its green creature counterparts.

Thrashing Brontodon - MTG Card versions
Polukranos, World Eater - MTG Card versions
Thrashing Brontodon - Rivals of Ixalan (RIX)
Polukranos, World Eater - Duel Decks: Heroes vs. Monsters (DDL)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nessian Wilds Ravager MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Born of the Gods Promos, 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 Nessian Wilds Ravager and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nessian Wilds Ravager Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-02-01 and 2014-02-07. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 519242003normalblackKev Walker
22014-02-01Born of the Gods PromosPBNG 129★2003normalblackKev Walker
32014-02-07Born of the GodsBNG 1292003normalblackRichard Wright

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nessian Wilds Ravager has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-02-01 If the opponent pays tribute, the creature will enter the battlefield with the specified number of +1/+1 counters on it. It won’t enter the battlefield and then have the +1/+1 counters placed on it.
2014-02-01 If the triggered ability has a target, that target will not be known while the creature spell with tribute is on the stack.
2014-02-01 Players can’t respond to the tribute decision before the creature enters the battlefield. That is, if the opponent doesn’t pay tribute, the triggered ability will trigger before any player has a chance to remove the creature.
2014-02-01 The choice of whether to pay tribute is made as the creature with tribute is entering the battlefield. At that point, it’s too late to respond to the creature spell. For example, in a multiplayer game, opponents won’t know whether tribute will be paid or which opponent will be chosen to pay tribute or not when deciding whether to counter the creature spell.
2014-02-01 The triggered ability will resolve even if the creature with tribute isn’t on the battlefield at that time.
2017-04-18 For effects that check which player put counters on the entering creature, the player chosen to pay tribute puts those counters on it, not the creature’s controller.

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