Nissa, Vital Force MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Nissa
Loyalty 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Nissa provides major card advantage and can transform lands into threatening creatures.
  2. Her versatile ultimate ability offers instant card draw and strategic depth.
  3. Though powerful, Nissa’s mana cost and needs can impose deck-building constraints.

Text of card


+1: Untap target land you control. Until your next turn, it becomes a 5/5 Elemental creature with haste. It's still a land.
-3: Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand.
-6: You get an emblem with "Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may draw a card."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nissa, Vital Force stands out in your deck as a powerhouse for gaining card advantage. Once on the battlefield, her +1 ability lets you untap a land that becomes a 5/5 Elemental creature with haste. This not only ramps up your attack but also potentially transforms land into a significant card-drawing tool if you were to use that land to fulfill the cost of card-drawing spells or abilities.

Resource Acceleration: The ability of Nissa to untap a land is not just for aggression. This move also serves as resource acceleration, effectively giving you an additional land to use within your turn. Whether it’s casting another spell, setting up defenses, or just maneuvering into a better strategic position, Nissa, Vital Force is a catalyst for speeding up your game plan.

Instant Speed: While Nissa, Vital Force herself isn’t cast at instant speed, her ultimate ability, which can be activated the turn after she enters, grants you an emblem with the upside of drawing cards at instant speed. Each land that enters the battlefield under your control lets you draw a card, thereby keeping your hand full and responsive to the changing tides of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Nissa, Vital Force does not require a direct discard, her ultimate ability necessitates a significant card investment which may risk depleting your hand in an effort to obtain substantial long-term gain.

Specific Mana Cost: Nissa, Vital Force demands a strict green mana presence, with one green and four of any color to cast. This can be restrictive as it is not easily splashed into multi-color decks without a solid green mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing five mana to summon, Nissa, Vital Force competes with other high-impact planeswalkers and game-changing spells. Players must weigh her abilities against other options within the same mana range to ensure she constitutes the best play.


Reasons to Include Nissa, Vital Force in Your Collection

Versatility: Nissa, Vital Force stands out as a flexible planeswalker card that adapts to various deck builds, supporting strategies centered around land rejuvenation and creature strength.

Combo Potential: Her ability to untap a land and make it a 5/5 elemental with haste until your next turn opens up numerous synergies, especially with landfall mechanisms or as a surprise blocker or attacker.

Meta-Relevance: In a field that often involves intense creature combat and attrition wars, Nissa, Vital Force can quickly turn the tide by returning key permanents from the graveyard to your hand or through her emblem’s continual card advantage.


How to beat

Nissa, Vital Force presents a sturdy challenge on the battlefield with her ability to swiftly escalate loyalty and convert lands into powerful creatures. Dealing with this planeswalker card efficiently requires strategy and the right counters. In many cases, direct damage spells can be effective at reducing Nissa’s loyalty points, ensuring she doesn’t stay on the field long enough to put her ultimate ability into play.

Removal spells are equally critical, particularly those that can bypass the potential indestructibility of lands turned creatures. Cards like Murderous Rider or Bedevil offer smooth solutions to this problem as they unceremoniously send Nissa to the graveyard before she becomes a persistent threat. Enchantment-based removal, such as Detention Sphere, is also an excellent way to address her without triggering any land-creature death effects.

Ultimately, swift and decisive action is key. Focus on maintaining board control and keeping Nissa’s influence at bay. By prioritizing the removal of both her and her animated lands, you can prevent this mage from using the full extent of nature’s wrath against you, safeguarding your chances of reigning victorious in your MTG encounters.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the battlefield with Nissa, Vital Force is an exhilarating strategy that can catapult your MTG gameplay to new heights. Her capacity to innovate playstyles and escalate resource management makes her an asset worth delving into deeper. Nissa’s skills in card advantage, resource acceleration, and even instant speed card draws can be game-changers. However, integrating her into your lineup involves careful consideration of mana curves and deck synergy. For those eager to master the art of Nissa’s natural force or seeking alternative strategies, our platform offers comprehensive insights and expert guidance. Embark on a journey of growth and discovery, refine your deck, and embrace the power of nature with Nissa, Vital Force by your side.


Cards like Nissa, Vital Force

Nissa, Vital Force is a powerhouse planeswalker in Magic: The Gathering. Her abilities bear similarities with other five-mana planeswalkers such as Vivien Reid. Both cards excel in providing card advantage and protecting themselves, yet, Nissa’s ability to turn a land into a creature with haste differentiates her. Furthermore, Nissa’s ultimate ability can be achieved rapidly, potentially providing an insurmountable advantage in longer games.

Comparatively, Garruk, Primal Hunter is another similar card that offers creature generation and card draw. Though Garruk draws cards based on creature power, which can yield vast amounts of card advantage in creature-heavy decks. However, Nissa stands out with her versatility, especially with her emblem granting an incredible recursion from the graveyard with every land drop.

In essence, Nissa, Vital Force exhibits unique traits that set her apart from her peers in the Magic: The Gathering realm. Despite strong competition, her swift ultimate ability and the synergy with lands spotlight her as a formidable card for players valuing long-term strategies and board presence.

Vivien Reid - MTG Card versions
Garruk, Primal Hunter - MTG Card versions
Vivien Reid - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Garruk, Primal Hunter - Magic 2012 (M12)

Cards similar to Nissa, Vital Force by color, type and mana cost

Wrenn and Seven - MTG Card versions
Nissa, Worldwaker - MTG Card versions
Nissa, Who Shakes the World - MTG Card versions
Vivien, Monsters' Advocate - MTG Card versions
Garruk, Primal Hunter - MTG Card versions
Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury - MTG Card versions
Jiang Yanggu - MTG Card versions
Vivien Reid - MTG Card versions
Wrenn and Seven - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Nissa, Worldwaker - Archenemy: Nicol Bolas (E01)
Nissa, Who Shakes the World - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Vivien, Monsters' Advocate - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths Promos (PIKO)
Garruk, Primal Hunter - Commander 2021 (C21)
Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury - Commander Masters (CMM)
Jiang Yanggu - Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling (GS1)
Vivien Reid - The List (PLST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nissa, Vital Force MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Kaladesh 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 Nissa, Vital Force and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nissa, Vital Force Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 709362015normalblackTerese Nielsen
22016-09-30Kaladesh PromosPKLD 163s2015normalblackClint Cearley
32016-09-30KaladeshKLD 1632015normalblackClint Cearley
42016-09-30Kaladesh PromosPKLD 163p2015normalblackClint Cearley
52018-07-19San Diego Comic-Con 2018PS18 1632015normalblackTerese Nielsen
62020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 1722015normalblackClint Cearley

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nissa, Vital Force has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-09-20 A permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card.
2016-09-20 After resolving Nissa's first ability, the target land still has any abilities it had before it became a creature and any other types it had.
2016-09-20 You can activate Nissa's first ability targeting a land that's already untapped.

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