Nebuchadnezzar MTG Card
1994-06-01 - Number 245
1995-07-01 - Number 80
2009-09-07 - Number 162
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Its hand disruption ability turns the tides in a battle, giving players a strategic upper hand.
- Flexibility of instant-speed activation allows for surprise tactics and optimal use of card effects.
- The card’s presence in your collection bolsters control decks with its discard and combo potential.
Text of card
o Xoc T: Name a card. Opponent reveals X cards from his or her hand at random, or entire hand if he or she does not have enough cards. Opponent then discards any of those cards that match the one you named. May only use this power during your turn.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Nebuchadnezzar allows you to selectively discard cards from your opponent’s hand, effectively whittling down their options while maintaining your own hand size. This ability puts you ahead in the long game, tipping card advantage in your favor.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing resource acceleration, the ability to disrupt your opponent’s hand can indirectly accelerate your own game plan by removing key pieces or answers from their arsenal, potentially leading to a quicker victory.
Instant Speed: Nebuchadnezzar’s activated ability can be used at instant speed, granting the flexibility to respond during your opponent’s turn. This can create unexpected plays and strategic depth, as you can wait to make decisions based on your opponent’s actions and maximize the impact of your disruptions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Nebuchadnezzar calls for you to discard a card to activate its ability. This action can be punishing, particularly if your hand is already diminished or if the game has progressed to a stage where each card in hand is critical to maintaining your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: Nebuchadnezzar has a mana cost that demands a combination of blue, black, and colorless mana. This specificity can pose a challenge in multi-colored decks, necessitating a well-tuned mana base to cast it consistently and on time.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total converted mana cost of five, Nebuchadnezzar may come off as costly, especially considering that other cards with lower mana requirements might provide immediate impact on the board state or offer more cost-effective ways to disrupt opponents’ hands.
Reasons to Include Nebuchadnezzar in Your Collection
Versatility: Nebuchadnezzar’s ability to target and discard specific cards from an opponent’s hand gives players tactical control, allowing for disruption across various gameplay situations regardless of the opponent’s strategy.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in a control deck, working in tandem with other discard mechanisms or graveyard manipulation effects to systematically dismantle opponent strategies, setting the stage for game-winning combos.
Meta-Relevance: With a gameplay environment that frequently sees decks built around synergistic card interactions, Nebuchadnezzar can shift the balance by removing key pieces from your opponent’s puzzle, maintaining a level of relevance in ever-evolving competitive scenes.
How to Beat Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar is a unique creature card that brings a strategic dimension to Magic: The Gathering. Its ability allows a player to selectively target and discard cards from an opponent’s hand, making it a powerful tool for disrupting their game plan. To effectively combat the influence of this card, players need to adapt their strategies accordingly.
One method is to increase the redundancy of key cards in your deck, ensuring that even if Nebuchadnezzar forces a discard, you have additional copies available. Additionally, utilizing cards that benefit from being in the graveyard or those that can be cast from the graveyard, such as those with Flashback or Unearth abilities, can mitigate the impact of Nebuchadnezzar’s control. Finally, maintaining a hand with a higher card count can prevent decisive plays by Nebuchadnezzar, preserving your critical resources in the face of its targeted removal ability.
Remember, Nebuchadnezzar’s influence is strongest when your hand is exposed. By building your deck with resilience against discard tactics and maintaining card advantage, you stand a better chance of countering its strategy and maintaining control over the game.
Cards like Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar stands out in Magic: The Gathering as an intriguing card with a unique ability to selectively disrupt opponents’ strategies. It is often compared to other notable cards that manipulate opponents’ hands and the graveyard, such as Lobotomy. While Lobotomy allows for the extraction of all copies of a nonland card from an opponent’s hand and library, Nebuchadnezzar’s strength lies in its repeated use since it is a creature with an activated ability. This contrasts with the one-time effect of Lobotomy.
Another card that comes to mind is Sadistic Sacrament. This card lets you peek into an opponent’s library and exile up to three cards with its basic effect, or up to fifteen with its kicker cost. However, Nebuchadnezzar differs by targeting the graveyard as well, adding an additional layer of control over the opponent’s potential plays. Cards like Thoughtseize also allow players to disrupt the opponent early on by forcing a discard, but it lacks the ongoing threat and presence on the board that a creature like Nebuchadnezzar provides.
Ultimately, Nebuchadnezzar offers a reusable and versatile control option, positioning it as a card that requires strategic thinking and timing to effectively control the game and diminish your opponents’ possibilities.
Cards similar to Nebuchadnezzar by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Nebuchadnezzar MTG card by a specific set like Legends and Chronicles, 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 Nebuchadnezzar and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Nebuchadnezzar Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1994-06-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Richard Kane Ferguson.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-06-01 | Legends | LEG | 245 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 2 | 1995-07-01 | Chronicles | CHR | 80 | 1993 | Normal | White | Richard Kane Ferguson | |
| 3 | 2009-09-07 | Masters Edition III | ME3 | 162 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Richard Kane Ferguson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Nebuchadnezzar has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Nebuchadnezzar card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | You don’t name a card until the ability resolves. Once you name a card, it’s too late for the targeted opponent to respond. |
| 2009-10-01 | You may activate the ability only during your turn, but you may do so any time you have priority. (In other words, it’s not restricted to only the times you could cast a sorcery.) |
