Nykthos Paragon MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment Creature — Human Soldier
Power 4
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Positively impacts board presence by converting life gain into permanent cards on the battlefield.
  2. Accelerates resource deployment and applies pressure with high-impact permanents quickly.
  3. Enables instant-speed play, adding tactical depth and unpredictability to your strategy.

Text of card

Whenever you gain life, you may put that many +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. Do this only once each turn.

Action: Start with 190C and design a spirit known as an Eidolon that resembles a human solider carrying a large shield.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nykthos Paragon shines in decks built around life gain, offering a consistent way to convert health into board presence. With each instance of life gained, you’re entitled to place a permanent card with a converted mana cost equal to or less than the amount of life gained onto the battlefield. This capability provides a massive swing in card advantage, propelling you far ahead of your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: This influential card can significantly accelerate the rate at which you deploy threats or establish defenses. By gaining ample life through various sources in your deck, you have the potential to play high-impact permanents much earlier than usual, creating a disproportionate advantage in resources over your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Nykthos Paragon itself is not an instant, its ability synergizes well with instant-speed life gain spells. Utilizing such spells during an opponent’s turn not only boosts your life total when least expected but also allows you to put permanents into play at times that could disrupt your opponent’s plans. This instant-speed interaction provides tactical depth and surprise value in gameplay.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Being a creature card with a potent ability, Nykthos Paragon does not immediately impact the board. Players need other resources or specific board conditions to maximize its benefit, potentially leading to a critical discard decision as they optimize their hand.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost requiring three white symbols, Nykthos Paragon is primarily suited for mono-white or dual-colored decks with a significant white component. This specific mana cost can restrict deck-building options and make it difficult to cast in a multi-color deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Nykthos Paragon’s six mana cost makes it a late-game play. This comparatively high cost is a significant investment, particularly in faster game formats where lower-cost creatures could provide quicker influence on the game state.


Reasons to Include Nykthos Paragon in Your Collection

Versatility: Nykthos Paragon’s ability to bolster life totals makes it a robust addition to any life-gain strategy deck. Its role is not limited to just one archetype, making it an excellent fit for white-based midrange, control, or even combo decks.

Combo Potential: By doubling life gained, this card opens up opportunities for significant combos with cards geared toward life-gain synergies. Its ability can escalate the effects of spells or abilities that trigger off life gain, enhancing the potency of each action.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that rewards long games and incremental advantages, Nykthos Paragon can be a lynchpin. Its presence on the battlefield can disrupt opposing strategies that rely on reducing your life total quickly, thus securing a stronger position as the game progresses.


How to beat

Nykthos Paragon brings a new level of power to lifegain strategies in Magic: The Gathering. This formidable creature not only boosts your health but can also put your life total well beyond the starting point. What many might overlook, however, is that the Paragon can be dealt with by diminishing its impact on the board.

One potent approach is using instant-speed removal spells, which can exile or destroy the creature before it accumulates too much value. Direct damage that bypasses its sizable toughness is also key — think in terms of utilizing damage spells that can handle heavier targets. Another viable tactic is managing your own life total; if you keep it low, the Paragon’s ability becomes less relevant. Cards that prevent life gain or impose conditions on your opponent when they gain life could also turn the tide of battle in your favor.

Taking these considerations into account, strategizing around the Paragon’s weakness can neutralize its advantages. With the right tools and timing, even the mightiest creatures in Magic: The Gathering can be outmaneuvered.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is a craft of constant evolution and understanding the intrinsic power of cards like Nykthos Paragon is key to this process. This card is a cornerstone in life-gain-based decks, offering the ability to establish overwhelming card advantages and dictate the pace of play. Recognizing both its strengths and its weaknesses allows you to leverage or counter it effectively, enhancing overall gameplay. For players looking to fortify their white-centric strategies, incorporate potent combos, and maintain meta-relevance, adding Nykthos Paragon to your collection could be a game-changer. Elevate your MTG expertise with further insights and strategies by joining our passionate community. Let’s continue to grow and achieve mastery together in the world of MTG.


Cards like Nykthos Paragon

Nykthos Paragon breathes life into the realm of white creature decks with its remarkable ability to bolster one’s life total. Resembling cards such as Archangel of Thune, the Paragon also thrives on life gain, but stands out with its repeatable effect every turn. Unlike the Archangel, it doesn’t necessitate an external life gain trigger to buff your creatures. Where Nykthos Paragon gains an edge is in its inherent and robust ability to significantly mark up your life every turn.

Crucially, Ajani’s Pridemate shares the life-centric strategy but diverges as it grows stronger with each life gain event. Nykthos Paragon, by contrast, does not modify its own stats. Then there’s Crested Sunmare, offering a different but relevant approach by creating 5/5 Horse tokens for life gained during your turn. While the Paragon does not provide additional creatures, its consistent life-boosting rhythm could offer an unmatched foundation for white-based strategies.

In essence, as one evaluates the utility of Nykthos Paragon among similar MTG cards, it becomes apparent that its constant and potent life gain potential makes it a formidable force, particularly in matches where sustaining a high life total can create insurmountable leads for players.

Archangel of Thune - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Crested Sunmare - MTG Card versions
Archangel of Thune - Magic 2014 (M14)
Ajani's Pridemate - Magic 2011 (M11)
Crested Sunmare - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Cards similar to Nykthos Paragon by color, type and mana cost

Aysen Highway - MTG Card versions
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Transcendence - MTG Card versions
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Aysen Highway - Homelands (HML)
The Cheese Stands Alone - Unglued (UGL)
Transcendence - Torment (TOR)
True Conviction - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Martyr's Bond - The List (PLST)
Leyline Binding - Dominaria United Promos (PDMU)
Sigarda's Summons - Innistrad: Double Feature (DBL)
Barren Glory - Future Sight (FUT)
Celestial Mantle - Jumpstart (JMP)
Exclusion Ritual - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Axis of Mortality - Ixalan Promos (PXLN)
Fall of the Thran - The List (PLST)
Song of the Worldsoul - Commander 2019 (C19)
Sworn to the Legion - Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate (HBG)
Battle at the Helvault - Commander Masters (CMM)
The Night of the Doctor - Doctor Who (WHO)
From the Rubble - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nykthos Paragon MTG card by a specific set like The List and Modern Horizons 2, 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 Nykthos Paragon and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nykthos Paragon Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-06-18 and 2021-06-19. Illustrated by Martina Pilcerova.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-09-26The ListPLST MH2-222015normalblackMartina Pilcerova
22021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 3312015normalblackMartina Pilcerova
32021-06-18Modern Horizons 2MH2 222015normalblackMartina Pilcerova
42021-06-19Modern Horizons 2 PromosPMH2 22s2015normalblackMartina Pilcerova

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nykthos Paragon has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-06-18 Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time and you haven't used it yet, Nykthos Paragon's ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
2021-06-18 If a creature you control is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won't receive +1/+1 counters from Nykthos Paragon's ability in time to save it.
2021-06-18 If multiple instances of the ability are on the stack, you will be able to put +1/+1 counters for only one of those instances. Once you do that, other instances will do nothing as they resolve.
2021-06-18 Once you have chosen to put +1/+1 counters on your creatures, further instances of gaining life will not cause the ability to trigger.
2021-06-18 “Do this only once each turn” refers only to the ability it is attached to, not other instances of the same ability. In other words, if you control multiple Nykthos Paragons, you will be able to do this once for each of them.
2021-06-18 “Do this only once each turn” refers to putting +1/+1 counters on your creatures using the triggered ability. As long as you haven't yet chosen to put +1/+1 counters on your creatures with it, all instances of gaining life will cause Nykthos Paragon's ability to trigger.

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