Nightsnare MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Released	2015-07-17
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Origins
Set code	ORI
Number	111
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Min Yum

Key Takeaways

Nightsnare offers insight into an opponent’s hand, allowing strategic card discarding decisions.
Its instant speed grants flexibility, aligning well with reactive play styles.
Comparatively high mana cost and discard requirements may influence deck building strategies.

Text of card

Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You may choose a nonland card from it. If you do, that player discards that card. If you don't, that player discards two cards.

Ravnica would be safer if mere coin was all the Dimir could steal.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nightsnare creates an opportunity for card advantage by forcing your opponent to reveal their hand, which allows you to make informed decisions about which cards to discard, potentially disrupting their strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Although Nightsnare itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, strategically discarding a key card from your opponent can slow them down, effectively giving you a relative boost in tempo.

Instant Speed: The power of Nightsnare is augmented by its instant speed, giving you the flexibility to cast it at the end of your opponent’s turn. This allows you to remain reactive during your opponent’s plays and still strategically strip away their options at the most opportune moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the downsides of Nightsnare is that it can put players in a tight spot by requiring them to discard a card. Such a condition can lead to a decrease in hand advantage, making it less than ideal when you’re struggling to maintain card options.

Specific Mana Cost: Nightsnare demands an exacting mana cost, needing both black and generic mana. This can sometimes be restrictive, as it limits the card’s integration into multi-colored decks that may have a varied mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the ability to peek into an opponent’s hand and force a discard is useful, Nightsnare’s mana value can be a bit steep, considering other cards in MTG with similar or better effects cost less. This higher cost can affect your tempo, especially in the early to mid-game phases where mana efficiency is crucial.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Nightsnare offers flexible gameplay, as it allows players to preemptively tackle an opponent’s hand. It can be a valuable addition to any deck that aims at disrupting strategies by hand manipulation.

Combo Potential: This card works well with strategies that reward you for knowing your opponent’s hand or that benefit from playing spells at instant speed, opening up possibilities for unexpected combos and interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where players rely heavily on specific key cards to win, Nightsnare can be a useful tool to remove those elements from the game, thereby increasing your odds of success.

How to beat

Nightsnare presents a unique challenge in MTG games by allowing players to peek into an opponent’s hand and rip out a card of their choosing, potentially disrupting well-laid plans. To effectively tackle this card, it’s essential to have a robust strategy that takes into account its ability to force a discard. One approach is to maintain a hand with redundant key pieces—making sure that the loss of one won’t devastate your strategy.

An alternative is to hold onto instant-speed spells that can be used in response to Nightsnare, diminishing the impact of your opponent’s selection. Reacting with spells like Brainstorm can hide important cards on top of your library or provide options not previously in your hand. Moreover, considering the use of lower-cost counterspells such as Negate can help preserve your hand by preventing Nightsnare from resolving in the first place. A well-timed Thoughtseize on your part could also remove Nightsnare before it ever becomes a threat. Awareness and preparation for this disruptive force will help you keep the upper hand in duels where Nightsnare is at play.

Strategic play and the judicious use of your responses can mitigate the disadvantage that Nightsnare aims to create, solidifying your game plan and blunting the card’s potential impact on the outcome of the match.

Cards like Nightsnare

Nightsnare introduces a peculiar twist to the realm of hand disruption spells within the MTG universe. It bears similarities to cards like Thoughtseize, which also grants players the utility to peek into an opponent’s hand and force them to discard. Unlike Thoughtseize, Nightsnare provides a unique option, allowing a choice between discarding any card or forcing the reveal and discard of a nonland card specifically, albeit at a higher mana cost.

In alignment with this theme, we have Duress, another staple disruption spell. While Duress restricts its targets to noncreature, nonland cards, it compensates with a leaner mana expenditure. Distress strikes a balance, broadening its reach to include any nonland card, much like Nightsnare, though still at a lower cost. The distinction in mana requirements between these spells and Nightsnare is quite pivotal in determining the timing and strategic impact in a match.

Appraising these cards side by side, Nightsnare positions itself as an option for those willing to pay extra mana for detailed control over an opponent’s hand. Comparatively, its MTG counterparts offer more economical disruption choices, each with their own limitations and strategic applications.

Cards similar to Nightsnare by color, type and mana cost

Terisiare's Devastation - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nightsnare MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, 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 Nightsnare and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nightsnare has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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