Nagging Thoughts MTG Card

Nagging Thoughts - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
2016-04-08 - Number 74

Nagging Thoughts - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Mystery Booster (MB1)
2019-11-07 - Number 442

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number SOI-74

Card sets	Released in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery
Abilities	Madness

Key Takeaways

Card advantage is crucial; Nagging Thoughts excels in fine-tuning hand and future plays.
Its madness cost can outpace opponents by allowing rapid deck cycling.
Instant speed casting gives players strategic flexibility during gameplay.

Text of card

Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the other into your graveyard. Madness (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nagging Thoughts is a powerful tool for players aiming to outpace their opponents through maintained card flow. This spell notably permits you to peek at the top two cards of your deck, choosing one to add to your hand and relegating the other to your graveyard. This selection process not only bolsters your current hand but can potentially set up your future plays or fuel graveyard-centric strategies.

Resource Acceleration: The unique ability of Nagging Thoughts to be cast using its madness cost provides a swift and unexpected form of resource acceleration. By discarding it to another effect and casting it for its madness cost, you effectively utilize the card sooner than the normal course of play would typically allow, giving you a leg up on the competition by cycling through your deck rapidly and efficiently.

Instant Speed: Flexibility is key in any MTG game, and Nagging Thoughts’ instant speed is a testament to such adaptability. You can deploy the spell at the most opportune moment, whether it’s at the end of an opponent’s turn to refresh your hand or in response to an action that forces a discard, thereby turning what could be a setback into a strategic advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nagging Thoughts requires a player to discard a card when utilizing its madness ability. This can be a setback, particularly when your hand is already depleted or if the cards in hand are crucial for your strategy, making you reluctant to part with them.

Specific Mana Cost: Nagging Thoughts has a specific mana cost that includes blue mana. This can restrict its inclusion to decks that generate blue mana, potentially excluding it from a wide array of deck types that don’t align with blue’s strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost and an alternative madness cost, it demands a substantial mana investment. In situations where speed is of the essence, there may be other options that let you sift through your deck or draw cards at a lower cost.

Reasons to Include Nagging Thoughts in Your Collection

Versatility: Nagging Thoughts boasts a flexible playstyle, slotting effortlessly into decks that thrive on card selection and graveyard strategies. Its ability to provide options while shaping your hand and future plays makes it a prudent choice for various builds.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks that capitalize on spells with madness or those that manipulate the graveyard. Casting it could set off a chain reaction, enabling powerful plays by discarding just the right card at the perfect moment.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the effectiveness of strategic card selection. In environments where finer control over your draws is crucial, Nagging Thoughts can offer the edge needed to outmaneuver opponents, making it a noteworthy addition to your arsenal.

How to beat

Nagging Thoughts is a card that can provide players with some insightful advantages during gameplay, making it a strategic spell to wield in the heat of battle. Sporting the prowess mechanic, this card grants you the opportunity to peek at the top two cards of your library, putting one into your hand and the other into your graveyard, thereby offering card selection and potential graveyard synergy.

To outmaneuver Nagging Thoughts, strategic planning is essential. Start by focusing on disrupting your opponent’s hand, utilizing cards that force discards, such as Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek. Denying them the fuel they need to cast Nagging Thoughts effectively cripples their strategy. Furthermore, you can employ graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus to nullify the benefits they might derive from the cards Nagging Thoughts filters into the graveyard.

Ultimately, staying ahead of Nagging Thoughts means actively dismantling your opponent’s game plan. By doing so, you reduce the impact of their card advantage and maintain a stronger position on the battlefield. Remember, knowledge is power in Magic: The Gathering, and thwarting your opponent’s attempts at gaining that knowledge can swing the game in your favor.

Cards like Nagging Thoughts

Nagging Thoughts stands out as an intriguing spell in the context of card selection and draw in MTG. Its most direct kin would be cards like Strategic Planning or Anticipate, which allow players to look at the top cards of their library and select one to keep, with the others going into their graveyard. Nagging Thoughts offers a similar peek into the future plays with a slightly different twist; it includes the madness mechanic that permits its casting at a reduced cost should the player discard it.

While Strategic Planning and Anticipate let you delve three cards deep, Nagging Thoughts digs only two, albeit with the possibility of being played at an unexpected moment. This surprise factor can turn the tides in a game, especially when leveraging discard strategies. Think Twice could also be a point of comparison, as it allows a second draw for additional mana investment, yet lacks the potential interplay with discard triggers that elevate Nagging Thoughts within certain deck archetypes.

Summarily, Nagging Thoughts carves a niche for itself among MTG cards focused on library manipulation. Its madness ability notably adds a layer of strategic depth that can significantly benefit players adept at managing the timing of their discards and their consequent advantages.

Cards similar to Nagging Thoughts by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nagging Thoughts MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Mystery Booster, 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 Nagging Thoughts and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nagging Thoughts Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Seb McKinnon.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-04-08	Shadows over Innistrad	SOI	74	2015	Normal	Black	Seb McKinnon
2	2019-11-07	Mystery Booster	MB1	442	2015	Normal	Black	Seb McKinnon
3	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST	SOI-74	2015	Normal	Black	Seb McKinnon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nagging Thoughts has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2016-04-08	A spell cast for its madness cost is put onto the stack like any other spell. It can be countered, copied, and so on. As it resolves, it’s put onto the battlefield if it’s a permanent card or into its owner’s graveyard if it’s an instant or sorcery card.
2016-04-08	Cards are discarded in a Magic game only from a player’s hand. Effects that put cards from a player’s library into that player’s graveyard do not cause those cards to be discarded.
2016-04-08	Casting a spell for its madness cost doesn’t change its mana cost or its converted mana cost. You just pay the madness cost instead.
2016-04-08	Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less for its madness cost, too.
2016-04-08	If there is only one card left in your library, you’ll put it into your hand. You won’t lose the game for having zero cards in your library until you’re required to draw a card.
2016-04-08	If you choose not to cast a card with madness when the madness triggered ability resolves, it’s put into your graveyard. You don’t get another chance to cast it later.
2016-04-08	If you discard a card with madness to pay the cost of a spell or activated ability, that card’s madness trigger (and the spell that card becomes, if you choose to cast it) will resolve before the spell or ability the discard paid for.
2016-04-08	If you discard a card with madness while resolving a spell or ability, it moves immediately to exile. Continue resolving that spell or ability—the card is not in your graveyard at this time. Its madness trigger will be placed onto the stack once that spell or ability has completely resolved.
2016-04-08	Madness works independently of why you’re discarding the card. You could discard it to pay a cost, because a spell or ability tells you to, or even because you have too many cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You can’t discard a card with madness just because you want to, though.
2016-04-08	When you cast a card with madness, it was still discarded. If it was discarded to pay a cost, that cost is still paid. Abilities that trigger when a card is discarded will still trigger.