Nightwing Shade MTG Card

Magic 2011 (M11)
2010-07-16 - Number 109

Magic 2014 (M14)
2013-07-19 - Number 109

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Shade
Abilities	Flying
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Provides strategic advantage by utilizing mana to scale power and toughness, potentially tipping combat in your favor.
Instant speed pumping of Nightwing Shade can disrupt opponent tactics, serving as a flexible combat trick.
Mana-hungry nature and specific color requirements can limit its use, emphasizing careful deck construction for efficacy.

Text of card

Flying : Nightwing Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"There is one hour of the night even we do not watch." —Sedva, captain of the watch

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nightwing Shade offers a strategic boost, as it can benefit from multiple mana inputs in a single turn. By investing mana, you augment its power and toughness, potentially outmatching the opponent’s creatures and ensuring you maintain board presence.

Resource Acceleration: This creature allows for flexible usage of mana resources. Any unspent mana from your pool during your own turn or any open mana during your opponent’s turn can be funneled into powering up Nightwing Shade, making it a versatile tool for accelerating your resource allocation.

Instant Speed: The ability to pump Nightwing Shade at instant speed presents a tactical advantage. It can be strengthened during combat or in response to spells, catching adversaries off guard and effectively acting as a combat trick that can deter attackers or turn the tide during blocks.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To fully utilize Nightwing Shade’s ability, a player may need to discard cards, which can deplete valuable hand resources, particularly detrimental in the late game where every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s ability hinges on black mana, which while potentially powerful in mono-black decks, restricts its synergy with more varied multicolor strategies, limiting its versatility across different deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial casting cost of Nightwing Shade can be steep, especially when considering its power-to-cost ratio. With other creatures and spells providing greater impact at a similar, if not lower, mana investment, Nightwing Shade might not always be the most mana-efficient choice in a competitive setting.

Reasons to Include Nightwing Shade Mtg Card in Your Collection

Versatility: Nightwing Shade offers a flexible role in your deck. Its flying ability allows it to be a consistent evasive threat, while its pump ability ensures it scales well into the late game. This card can find a home in both aggressive and control-oriented black decks, able to adapt to various situations on the battlefield.

Combo Potential: As a creature that benefits from mana investment, Nightwing Shade can be a key piece in deck archetypes that generate significant mana to exploit its ability. It seamlessly integrates with strategies that untap lands or creatures to generate additional mana, thus enhancing its importance in combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where flyers can dominate, Nightwing Shade can be a formidable asset. With black decks often needing reliable finishers, the Shade can apply pressure in the air while also dodging common ground-based removals. Its relevance can increase particularly in metas where the ability to grow a creature’s power at instant speed disrupts combat calculations for your opponent.

How to beat

Nightwing Shade is a creature card that presents a unique challenge on the battlefield due to its flying ability and the power to increase its own strength. This makes it a resilient adversary especially in the later stages of the game when mana is more readily available to pump it. To effectively confront this card, it’s crucial to focus on removal spells that can bypass its scalable power.

Targeted removal like Murder or Doom Blade works well as it can eliminate the Nightwing Shade before your opponent can invest mana into strengthening it. For those playing white, cards such as Pacifism can neutralize the threat by preventing it from attacking or blocking without having to remove it from the board. Enchantment removal is another tactic, clearing the way for your creatures to deal damage unimpeded.

Maintaining control over the board and keeping your opponent’s mana tapped out can also prevent them from leveraging the Shade’s abilities to their full potential. Balance between strategic creature removal and pressure on your opponent’s resources will improve your chances against Nightwing Shade, and ensure your path to victory remains unhindered.

Cards like Nightwing Shade

Nightwing Shade is a spectral force on the battlefield, evoking the strategic depth of Magic: The Gathering. Its key feature lies within the realm of creature cards, especially those with flying and the ability to scale their power. When comparing it to other cards, the Shade’s counterparts are cards like Vampire Nighthawk. Both share the flying ability, allowing them to soar over blockers. However, Vampire Nighthawk offers additional benefits such as deathtouch and lifelink, though it lacks the scalable power element.

Looking further, we find the connection to another shade variant, Nantuko Shade. Nantuko also benefits from a pump ability, giving players a chance to increase its might indefinitely. Both shades require similar strategic thinking, balancing mana reserves against potential power boosts. However, the insect-themed Nantuko operates at an arguably more aggressive pace due to its lower initial cost and superior base stats.

In sum, Nightwing Shade stands out as an intriguing option for players seeking creatures that can adapt and escalate in power, shining a light on how flying and pump mechanics harmonize within MTG’s vast array of choices.

Cards similar to Nightwing Shade by color, type and mana cost

Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nightwing Shade MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2011 and Magic 2014, 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 Nightwing Shade and other MTG cards: