Crystalline Nautilus MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Enchantment Creature — Nautilus
Abilities	Bestow
Released	2014-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Journey into Nyx
Set code	JOU
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	34
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Brad Rigney

Key Takeaways

Gains an edge by countering spells or forcing sacrifices when targeted, tipping the scales of card advantage.
Instant speed bestow adds a strategic element of surprise, influencing combat outcomes and resource management.
Despite its versatility, the Nautilus’s demanding mana and high cost can affect tempo and deck flexibility.

Text of card

Bestow (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature.) When Crystalline Nautilus becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it. Enchanted creature gets +4/+4 and has "When this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crystalline Nautilus offers a unique form of card advantage. When it becomes the target of a spell or ability, it forces that spell or ability to be countered unless its controller sacrifices another permanent. This often results in net card gain as opponents must decide between losing their spell or an additional asset.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Crystalline Nautilus doesn’t directly provide mana, its mere presence can apply psychological pressure, potentially causing opponents to misallocate resources or hesitate in their strategies. This indirect acceleration gives you a better position to utilize your available resources effectively.

Instant Speed: The ability to bestow the Crystalline Nautilus at instant speed onto another creature adds a layer of complexity and surprise to the game. This grants you increased flexibility in your turn structure and can lead to advantageous blocks or creating a powerful creature unexpectedly during combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Crystalline Nautilus can put you at a card disadvantage because it forces you to pitch a card from your hand. This drawback means you must weigh the board presence against the potential loss in hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Crystalline Nautilus demands a precise mana makeup to cast. Blue mana is needed for this spell, which may not always be readily available if you’re playing a multicolor deck—and this requirement can hamper your deck’s flexibility and speed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the Nautilus offers intriguing gameplay possibilities, its mana cost is significant. This can put players at a tempo loss, especially when faced with opponents who are able to leverage lower-cost creatures or spells with similar or better effects earlier in the game.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Crystalline Nautilus’s ability to be a morph card means it can surprise your opponents, adapting to numerous situations on the battlefield. Whether you use it for its morph effect or for its enchantment synergy, it seamlessly integrates into varied deck builds.

Combo Potential: With its unique ability that makes it an enchantment when it becomes the target of a spell or ability, it opens up several combo possibilities. Think of pairing it with cards that bounce or sacrifice enchantments to trigger powerful effects or accrue value.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that respects permanents with dual characteristics, Crystalline Nautilus can be a game-changer. It’s especially relevant in environments where enchantment-based strategies are on the rise or enchantment removal is scarce.

How to beat

Crystalline Nautilus is a unique creature card that presents its own set of challenges on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Its key mechanic is the ability to become a powerful enchantment when targeted by spells or abilities. However, like many MTG cards, Crystalline Nautilus isn’t invincible. Facing this card requires a strategy that avoids targeting it directly with spells or abilities that could buff your opponent’s board.

To outmaneuver Crystalline Nautilus, consider using board wipes that do not specifically target it, such as Supreme Verdict or Damnation. These effectively remove it from the game without triggering its advantageous transformation. Another effective tactic is taking control of the tempo of the game, forcing the Nautilus to go on the defensive rather than allowing it to dictate the pace. Utilize cards that change the combat dynamic, such as reducing the creature’s power and toughness indirectly, to ensure it poses little threat when it does attack or block.

In sum, though Crystalline Nautilus has the potential to dominate the board by turning into an enchantment, savvy players can adapt their strategies to deal with this shelled adversary. Board management and indirect threats are crucial in overcoming the challenges posed by this distinctive creature from the depths of the MTG universe.

Cards like Crystalline Nautilus

Crystalline Nautilus stands out in the Magic: The Gathering sea of enchantment creatures due to its unique monstrosity ability. Its close relatives include creatures like Hopeful Eidolon, which also doubles as an aura but lacks the controlled sacrifice mechanic found in Crystalline Nautilus. Hopeful Eidolon offers a lifelink benefit, but it doesn’t provide the same offensive or defensive potential that comes with making Crystalline Nautilus monstrous.

When considering creatures with built-in protective measures, Invisible Stalker comes to mind. Although it can’t match the raw power of Crystalline Nautilus when monstrous, Invisible Stalker offers consistent unblockability and hexproof from the get-go. In the context of utility and resilience, Stratus Dancer also emerges as a likely comparison. This creature adapts to the game with a morph mechanic, potentially countering an important spell when flipped. However, it doesn’t present the immediate board impact that Crystalline Nautilus can impose when achieving its monstrosity.

Each of these options brings something different to the table, yet Crystalline Nautilus holds a unique junction of power growth potential and strategic sacrifice, positioning it in a special niche among enchantment creatures in the game.

Cards similar to Crystalline Nautilus by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Crystalline Nautilus MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx, 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 Crystalline Nautilus and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Crystalline Nautilus has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-04-26	An Aura that becomes a creature is no longer put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. Rather, it becomes unattached and remains on the battlefield as long as it's a creature. While it's a creature, it can't be attached to another permanent or player. An Aura that's not attached to a legal permanent or player as defined by its enchant ability and also isn't a creature will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action.
2014-04-26	Auras attached to a creature don't become tapped when the creature becomes tapped. Except in some rare cases, an Aura with bestow remains untapped when it becomes unattached and becomes a creature.
2014-04-26	Crystalline Nautilus's middle ability functions as long as Crystalline Nautilus is on the battlefield, whether it's a creature or an Aura.
2014-04-26	If a permanent with bestow enters the battlefield by any method other than being cast, it will be an enchantment creature. You can't choose to pay the bestow cost and have it become an Aura.
2014-04-26	If the enchanted creature leaves the battlefield, the Aura stops being an Aura and remains on the battlefield. Control of that permanent doesn't change; you'll control the resulting enchantment creature.
2014-04-26	On the stack, a spell with bestow is either a creature spell or an Aura spell. It's never both, although it's an enchantment spell in either case.
2014-04-26	Similarly, if you cast an Aura spell with bestow targeting a creature controlled by another player, and that creature is an illegal target when the spell tries to resolve, it will finish resolving as an enchantment creature spell. It will enter the battlefield under your control.
2014-04-26	Unlike other Aura spells, an Aura spell with bestow isn't countered if its target is illegal as it begins to resolve. Rather, the effect making it an Aura spell ends, it loses enchant creature, it returns to being an enchantment creature spell, and it resolves and enters the battlefield as an enchantment creature.
2014-04-26	Unlike other Auras, an Aura with bestow isn't put into its owner's graveyard if it becomes unattached. Rather, the effect making it an Aura ends, it loses enchant creature, and it remains on the battlefield as an enchantment creature. It can attack (and its abilities can be activated, if it has any) on the turn it becomes unattached if it's been under your control continuously, even as an Aura, since your most recent turn began.
2014-04-26	You still control the Aura, even if it's enchanting a creature controlled by another player.