Narcolepsy MTG Card
2010-04-23 - Number 79
2015-05-22 - Number 52
2020-07-17 - Number 159
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchant creature At the beginning of each upkeep, if enchanted creature is untapped, tap it.
"It's so cute when it's sleeping, isn't it? Actually, it's still as abhorrent as ever, but at least it's not trying to kill us." —Noyan Dar, Tazeem lullmage
Cards like Narcolepsy
When evaluating the sleep-inducing prowess of Narcolepsy in MTG, it’s essential to note its unique place in the control environment. This blue enchantment can repeatedly tap a creature, effectively neutralizing it as a threat during each of your upkeeps. It’s reminiscent of cards like Claustrophobia, which also locks a creature down, but unlike Narcolepsy, Claustrophobia taps the creature once and keeps it that way without the need for recurring triggers.
Its kinship is also seen with Ice Cage from the repertoire of blue control magic. While Ice Cage has a similar lockdown effect, it comes with the fragility of being destroyed if the enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell or ability. In contrast, Narcolepsy’s effect continues unfazed under such conditions. Sleep is another akin spell, tapping creatures immediately and keeping them locked for a turn, though it’s a one-off event with no repetition. In essence, Narcolepsy stands out by offering a consistent control each turn, albeit at a slower, steadier pace than some of its counterparts.
Deciding on the ideal control spell hinges on your deck’s strategy and your opponents’ gameplay. Narcolepsy, with its ongoing ability to keep an enemy creature in a drowsy state, brings a unique tempo advantage that can be pivotal in many MTG matches.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Narcolepsy provides ongoing control over opponent’s creatures, effectively negating their ability each turn and therefore indirectly acting as a source of card advantage by neutralizing threats without an extra card investment each round.
Resource Acceleration: Although Narcolepsy doesn’t produce extra mana or tokens, it allows players to concentrate their resources on advancing their board state instead of removing creatures, thus indirectly accelerating their resource deployment by saving mana typically used for creature control.
Instant Speed: While Narcolepsy itself is an enchantment to be played at sorcery speed, its controlling effect occurs at the beginning of each upkeep at instant speed. This ensures your opponent’s creature is tapped before they can declare attackers, effectively surprising your opponent by upsetting their combat plans every turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Narcolepsy can be a powerful control tool, it lacks direct discard mechanics, which would synergize with cards benefiting from discard triggers or graveyard strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: Narcolepsy requires blue mana, meaning it’s inherently tied to blue-centric or blue-inclusive decks, possibly restricting its playability across the diverse color spectrum of decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of one and a blue, Narcolepsy may seem affordable, but in fast-paced games, it could be seen as too slow compared to other one-mana removal or tempo plays available.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Narcolepsy offers a unique approach to controlling the field. As an enchantment that can continually tap a problematic creature, it slips easily into blue control decks or any deck looking to incapacitate key creatures without having to resort to removal.
Combo Potential: This card works wonders in decks that capitalize on tapping and untapping mechanics. Combining Narcolepsy with cards that benefit from tapped creatures could unlock new levels of synergy and unexpected combo plays.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where singular creatures dominate the battlefield, Narcolepsy proves to be a force. It can effectively neutralize many threats, making it a relevant sideboard option or even a mainstay in decks seeking to mitigate specific meta threats.
How to Beat Narcolepsy
Narcolepsy is an impactful blue enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that can regularly neutralize your opponent’s threats. The card taps a targeted creature at the beginning of each upkeep, which can be a significant hindrance. However, several strategies can effectively marginalize this control tactic.
First, you might consider using cards that can remove enchantments, such as Disenchant, to directly deal with Narcolepsy. Another approach is to play creatures with vigilance that aren’t affected by being tapped. Alternatively, utilizing cards with untap abilities allows creatures to be ready for action despite the enchantment. Creatures with the haste ability are also reasonable as they can swing the same turn they come into play, not giving Narcolepsy the chance to take effect before they make an impact.
Playing around Narcolepsy means understanding its mechanics and timing, ensuring your key creatures avoid its sleep-inducing effect. With these tactics, you can preserve your battlefield presence and keep attacking or defending as per your strategy, effectively “waking up” from the Narcolepsy enchantment’s grip on your game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Narcolepsy MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Modern Masters 2015, 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 Narcolepsy and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Narcolepsy Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-04-23 | Rise of the Eldrazi | ROE | 79 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Johann Bodin | |
| 2 | 2015-05-22 | Modern Masters 2015 | MM2 | 52 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Johann Bodin | |
| 3 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 159 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Johann Bodin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Narcolepsy has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Narcolepsy card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-06-15 | Narcolepsy doesn’t keep the enchanted creature continually tapped. The creature untaps during its controller’s untap step as normal, then is tapped when Narcolepsy’s ability resolves during that upkeep. The creature may be tapped in response (for example, if it has an activated ability with in its cost). |
| 2010-06-15 | Narcolepsy’s triggered ability has an “intervening ‘if’ clause.” That means (1) the ability triggers only if the enchanted creature is untapped as any player’s upkeep begins, and (2) the ability does nothing if the enchanted creature is already tapped by the time it resolves. |