Nightshade Harvester MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elf Shaman
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Commands the game tempo by exploiting opponent land plays and enhancing your board presence.
  2. Integrates well in decks centered on land disruption, elevating its potential for dominance.
  3. Executing timely removal is crucial to counter Nightshade Harvester’s disruptive power effectively.

Text of card

Whenever a land enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, that player loses 1 life. Put a +1/+1 counter on Nightshade Harvester.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nightshade Harvester provides a continuous source of value over time. Each land your opponents play not only empowers Nightshade Harvester but also potentially weakens their creatures, allowing you to dictate the flow of the game with a single threat on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Although Nightshade Harvester doesn’t directly produce additional mana or Treasure, its ability to grow in power can lead to resource acceleration indirectly. By forcing opponents to reconsider playing lands or fetch spells, you can effectively slow down their development and gain an advantage on the mana curve.

Instant Speed: While Nightshade Harvester itself may not operate at instant speed, its ability triggers instantly upon land plays. This means it can disrupt your opponent’s strategies even when it’s not your turn, keeping them on their toes and inhibiting their gameplay—a subtle yet significant modification in pace and tempo that benefits you.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Nightshade Harvester does not directly require you to discard cards, it pressures opponents to potentially discard by increasing their lands’ count, which could backfire in some strategies that want to keep the number of lands in play minimal.

Specific Mana Cost: Nightshade Harvester demands a precise mana configuration of one black and three of any color to cast. This can pose a hurdle for multicolored decks that aren’t heavily invested in black mana or those that operate on a tight mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four-mana value, this card competes directly with other impactful four-drops in the black color spectrum. Considering the range of options at this mana slot, some players might opt for alternatives that offer immediate board presence or disruption.


Reasons to Include Nightshade Harvester in Your Collection

Versatility: Nightshade Harvester can seamlessly adapt to different deck structures, proving particularly potent in strategies that revolve around land control and sacrifice effects. Its ability to disrupt opponent’s mana base while strengthening your own is a tactical advantage.

Combo Potential: This card creates synergies with decks focused on land destruction or sacrifice, where its triggered ability can consistently stack up to give you an edge. Pairing Nightshade Harvester with ways to force land searches can exponentially increase its efficacy.

Meta-Relevance: As many decks rely on land ramping for their game plans, incorporating Nightshade Harvester can provide you with an effective counter-strategy. It’s a smart addition in an environment where stifling opponents’ mana development can be key to prevailing in the match.


How to beat

Nightshade Harvester is a potent force in the world of MTG, featuring an ability that can quickly escalate the power on your board. Keen strategists know that when facing this card, prompt removal is key. Swift action with spells like Path to Exile or Abrupt Decay can pave the way for an uninterrupted strategy. Evasion tactics such as counterspell or bounce effects can also prove invaluable. The goal is to either prevent Nightshade Harvester from taking root or to mitigate its impact before it can disrupt your land base significantly.

Navigating around the Harvester’s triggered ability can be tricky. Augmenting your play with landfall control or graveyard recursion can help maintain an equilibrium in the match. Refrain from overextending with nonbasic land deployment unless you have a surefire way to cope with the potential consequences that Nightshade Harvester brings to the table.

Ultimately, mastering the art of timing and strategic removal will increase your chances of dominating against such a menacing adversary in MTG, ensuring your lands – and life total – remain firmly within your control.


BurnMana Recommendations

Crafting a robust MTG strategy involves recognizing powerful allies, and Nightshade Harvester is a card worth considering. With its unique ability to hamper opponents’ land plays while getting stronger, it’s a game-changer for decks that thrive on resource manipulation. If you’re intrigued by tactics that leverage land control or want an edge in a land-ramp heavy meta, this card could be a significant asset. Combine it with land-search disruptors for an unmatched advantage. Dive deeper into strategic deck building and optimize your gameplay with Nightshade Harvester. Discover more ways to enhance your MTG experience with us.


Cards like Nightshade Harvester

Nightshade Harvester is an intriguing creature card within the realms of Magic: The Gathering, pulling itself apart from others with its unique ability to fine-tune resource management. This card resembles the workings of cards like Dauthi Voidwalker in that it presents a unique way to disrupt opponents. While Dauthi Voidwalker limits the use of the graveyard by exiling cards, Nightshade Harvester is more focused on punishing land ramping tactics by placing poison counters on an opponent and strengthening its own power.

We also see a resemblence with Tergrid, God of Fright in terms of playing with opponents’ resources. However, Tergrid, with her flip capability, can also return opponents’ cards under your control, which is not an ability Nightshade Harvester shares. What it does offer, like Tergrid, is a significant tactical advantage over opponents who heavily rely on land strategies.

Evaluating similar shadowy characters in MTG, Nightshade Harvester stands out, particularly in decks aimed at controlling the pace of the game and punishing opponents for overextending their land plays. It’s a card that does not merely blend into the mix but rather dictates the flow of opposing strategies.

Dauthi Voidwalker - MTG Card versions
Dauthi Voidwalker - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)

Cards similar to Nightshade Harvester by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - MTG Card versions
Magus of the Abyss - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Magus of the Abyss - Future Sight (FUT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nightshade Harvester MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander Legends, 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 Nightshade Harvester and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nightshade Harvester Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by PINDURSKI.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 860242015normalblackPINDURSKI
22020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 6502015normalblackPINDURSKI
32020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 1382015normalblackPINDURSKI

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nightshade Harvester has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

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