Nin, the Pain Artist MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Vedalken Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Nin’s instant-speed card drawing ability adds strategic depth and instant threat response to any MTG deck.
  2. Requires a creature to target, potentially limiting its effectiveness when the battlefield is empty.
  3. Demands color-specific mana, which could constrain deck-building decisions and overall versatility.

Text of card

, : Nin, the Pain Artist deals X damage to target creature. That creature's controller draws X cards.

"Your body is a delicate instrument that tells me truths. These devices help me 'tune' that instrument."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nin the Pain Artist offers versatile card draw capabilities. By targeting your own creatures, you can convert excess life points into potential game-winning draws, keeping your hand filled with options.

Resource Acceleration: This card enables strategic player interaction, essentially turning any creature into a potential source of new cards. Leveraging creatures that benefit from being targeted or those with high toughness can accelerate your access to your deck’s resources.

Instant Speed: Nin’s ability can be activated at instant speed, providing the flexibility to disrupt opponents’ strategies during their turn or end step. This adaptability lets you keep mana open for counterspells, removal, or utilizing Nin’s ability at the most opportune moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nin the Pain Artist necessitates that you have a creature to target, acting as an indirect discard requirement. This can be a setback when your board is clear and you’re unable to leverage Nin’s ability.

Specific Mana Cost: Operating on a blue and red mana requirement, Nin the Pain Artist demands a commitment to those colors. This restricts deck-building options and can impede the card’s flexibility in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Nin’s ability is unique, the combined total of four mana (one blue, one red, and two generic) to get her onto the battlefield is steep. This can slow you down, especially when there are other creatures or utility spells that cost less and can have an immediate board impact.


Reasons to Include Nin the Pain Artist in Your Collection

Versatility: Nin the Pain Artist offers a dynamic option for decks emphasizing card draw and control tactics. With the ability to target any creature, Nin becomes a valuable tool for managing the board and fueling your hand with more options.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with creatures that have damage-triggered abilities or high toughness. It can be a key component in creating an engine to draw a significant portion of your deck, while also working well with cards that capitalize on discard or draw.

Meta-Relevance: Given its unique ability to serve as both a removal and card advantage engine, Nin the Pain Artist is well-suited for environments where longer, grindy games prevail. Its capacity to disrupt opponents and support your strategy makes it a smart inclusion in your arsenal, especially in formats like Commander.


How to beat

Nin the Pain Artist is a deceptively versatile card in the world of Magic the Gathering, offering strategic depth to players who weave it into their decks. This blue and red commander enables card draw while dealing damage to creatures, and savvy opponents know the importance of disrupting this cycle. To effectively counter Nin the Pain Artist, consider using cards that grant your creatures indestructible, as this will nullify the damage-based card draw. Additionally, employing hexproof or shroud can protect your valuable creatures from being targeted by Nin’s activated ability.

Utilizing instant-speed removals or countermagic when Nin the Pain Artist is cast or activated can be crucial in preserving board stability. And don’t underestimate the power of diverting their card draw advantage—employ cards that restrict or penalize card draw, effectively turning Nin’s strength into a liability. Strategic use of these tactics can create a significant hurdle for your opponent, breaking the synergies that Nin the Pain Artist could foster and putting you in a position of advantage.

Taking these measures ensures that the advantage Nin could provide is kept in check, allowing you to remain one step ahead of your opponent’s strategy and help tilt the game in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the world of MTG with Nin the Pain Artist, a card that encapsulates the essence of strategy and adaptability. Its ability to transform creatures into powerful draw engines makes it a formidable asset in any player’s collection. For enthusiasts looking to enhance their gameplay and explore intricate combos, Nin offers endless possibilities. Discover the vast potential and applications of this versatile card in various formats, especially in Commander games where its full power can be unleashed. Guided by insight and a passion for discovery, continue your MTG journey with us and add depth to your deck-building skills.


Cards like Nin, the Pain Artist

Nin the Pain Artist offers a unique blend of flexibility and damage in Magic: The Gathering. It closely resembles cards like Prodigal Sorcerer in its ability to ping creatures or players. However, Nin the Pain Artist elevates this concept by allowing you to draw cards equal to the damage dealt, turning pain into a potent advantage. Compared to Prodigal Sorcerer, it lacks simplicity but offers a trade-off with its card advantage potential.

When it comes to direct damage and drawing cards, Gelectrode is another card that shares traits with Nin the Pain Artist. Gelectrode can deal damage to any target much like Nin, but it doesn’t allow the drawing of cards. Nevertheless, Gelectrode offers repeatable actions within a turn, potentially tapping and untapping multiple times. Though Nin the Pain Artist requires more setup with its X cost for damage and draw, the payoff can be significantly larger.

Analyzing the intricacies and merits of card abilities, Nin the Pain Artist stands out as a formidable choice for those looking to combine direct damage with the upside of drawing cards, all the while enjoying the creativity and strategic depth this card offers in Magic: The Gathering.

Prodigal Sorcerer - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Gelectrode - Guildpact (GPT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nin, the Pain Artist MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2011 and Commander 2011 Launch Party, 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 Nin, the Pain Artist and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nin, the Pain Artist Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2011-06-17 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Brad Rigney.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 2132003normalblackBrad Rigney
22011-06-17Commander 2011 Launch PartyPCMD 2132003normalblackBrad Rigney
32017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1832015normalblackBrad Rigney
42018-01-01Judge Gift Cards 2018J18 32015normalblackBrad Rigney
52019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 14602015normalblackBrad Rigney
62020-09-26The ListPLST C17-1832015normalblackBrad Rigney

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nin, the Pain Artist has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-09-22 If the ability resolves, but the damage is prevented or redirected, the controller of the targeted creature will draw X cards, regardless of how much damage was dealt or what the damage was ultimately dealt to.
2011-09-22 If the creature is an illegal target when Nin’s ability tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. No player will draw cards.
2011-09-22 If the damage is lethal, the cards are drawn before the creature is destroyed (the next time state-based actions are checked).
2011-09-22 The effect is not optional. The creature’s controller can’t choose to draw fewer than X cards.
2011-09-22 You may choose a value for X that’s greater than the creature’s toughness. Its controller will draw that many cards.

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