Najal, the Storm Runner MTG Card
2022-09-09 - Number 307
2022-09-09 - Number 208
2022-09-09 - Number 348
2022-09-09 - Number 74
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Efreet Wizard |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Najal elevates gameplay by offering card advantage and reacting with instant speed maneuvers.
- While powerful, it requires specific mana and discarding, which can hamper flexibility.
- Despite cons, Najal’s versatility and combo potential make it a worthy collection addition.
Text of card
You may cast sorcery spells as though they had flash. Whenever Najal, the Storm Runner attacks, you may pay . If you do, when you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy it. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Najal, the Storm Runner shines in delivering card advantage to players by letting them anticipate their opponents’ moves. When triggering Najal’s ability, you can access additional cards, ensuring you’re never short of options during the crucial late game.
Resource Acceleration: This formidable card stands out by offering resource acceleration. By allowing you to potentially untap lands, Najal can increase the resources available to you during each of your turns, leading to more explosive plays and a faster development of your board state.
Instant Speed: One of Najal’s most strategic benefits is its interaction at instant speed. This feature offers the flexibility to react swiftly to your opponents’ actions, ensuring you maintain the upper hand. Whether it’s casting spells on your opponent’s turn or having the ability to respond to threats immediately, Najal grants tactical advantages that can turn the tides of the game in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Najal, the Storm Runner stipulates a discard condition for one of its abilities, which can deplete your hand and restrict your strategic options, particularly in the close quarters of a tight game when every card held could determine the outcome.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost necessitates a precise combination of blue and red mana, making it a less versatile pick in decks that don’t consistently produce the required colors. This constraint can sometimes lead to it sitting in your hand unusable at critical moments.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that may be rather steep for its abilities, Najal, the Storm Runner competes with other options that might bring greater impact or versatility to the battlefield at the same or lower mana threshold, leading some players to exclude it in favor of cards that provide more immediate board presence or value.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Najal, the Storm Runner offers adaptability across various play styles, as it can serve as both an impressive commander in EDH or a valuable piece in spellslinger and storm decks.
Combo Potential: This card’s ability to copy instant or sorcery spells synergizes with numerous combos, effectively doubling the impact of game-changing spells or facilitating loop strategies.
Meta-Relevance: Given that the current competitive scene values cards that provide both immediate impact and potential for game-ending combos, Najal’s inclusion can keep your deck aligned with top-tier strategies.
How to beat Najal, the Storm Runner
Najal, the Storm Runner is shaping up to be a formidable presence in any Magic: The Gathering match. With the ability to dominate by casting exhilarating instants and sorceries from the top of your library, this card demands a thoughtful strategy to overcome. Keeping Najal off the board is key, and effective removal spells that can target creatures no matter their size, such as Murder or Path to Exile, can be pivotal in maintaining control.
Counterspells, too, play a crucial role when facing Najal. By countering key spells that your opponent aims to cast with Najal’s triggered ability, you disrupt their game plan and buy precious time. Another tactic is employing discard spells that force your opponent to get rid of Najal before it can be cast. Duress or Thoughtseize can effectively strip essential cards from your rival’s hand, ensuring Najal never even hits the table.
Ultimately, staying ahead hinges on monitoring Najal’s stormy potential and taking decisive actions. Whether through direct removal, cunning counterspells, or preemptive hand disruption, halting Najal’s momentum is the cornerstone of claiming victory against this tempestuous adversary.
Cards like Najal, the Storm Runner
Najal, the Storm Runner carves a distinct niche among legendary creatures in Magic: The Gathering. A side-by-side look with similar cards reveals several key comparisons. For instance, Tatyova, Benthic Druid also merges the power of landfall with card advantage. While Tatyova grants life gain and card draw with every land entering the battlefield, Najal’s prowess lies in adding extra turns to your game with landfall after reaching the seventh land, offering a potentially game-winning ability.
Another peer to consider is Maelstrom Wanderer, known for cascading into other spells and granting your creatures haste. While it pushes for immediate board impact, Najal’s strength grows over time, rewarding strategic land play. Additionally, compared to the immediate aggression Maelstrom Wanderer incites, Najal can supplement control-focused decks with an ultimate goal of outlasting opponents.
Lastly, Omnath, Locus of Creation also interacts with landfall but diversifies its benefits across life gain, damage to opponents, and ramp. While Omnath serves as a flexible utility engine, Najal’s strategy is sharply focused on the long game, offering extraordinary turns that can lead to formidable advantage swings in later stages.
Cards similar to Najal, the Storm Runner by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Najal, the Storm Runner MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria United and Dominaria United, 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 Najal, the Storm Runner 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
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Printings
The Najal, the Storm Runner Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-09-09 and 2022-09-09. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 307 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Serena Malyon | |
| 2 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 208 | 2015 | Normal | Black | PINDURSKI | |
| 3 | Dominaria United Art Series | ADMU | 74 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
| 4 | 2022-09-09 | Dominaria United | DMU | 348 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Serena Malyon |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Najal, the Storm Runner has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Najal, the Storm Runner card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-09-09 | If the spell that’s copied has damage divided as it was cast, the division can’t be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can). The same is true of spells that distribute counters. |
| 2022-09-09 | If the spell that’s copied is modal (that is, it says “Choose one —” or the like), the copy created by Najal’s delayed triggered ability will have the same mode or modes. You can’t choose different ones. |
| 2022-09-09 | The copies that Najal’s ability creates are created on the stack, so they’re not “cast.” Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won’t trigger. |
| 2022-09-09 | You can’t choose to pay any additional costs for the copy created by Najal’s delayed triggered ability. However, effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy too. |
Guide to Flash card ability
Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.