Parallax Nexus MTG Card


Parallax Nexus - Nemesis
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Fading
Released2000-02-14
Set symbol
Set nameNemesis
Set codeNEM
Number63
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byGreg Staples

Key Takeaways

  1. Hand disruption through exile provides a strategic advantage, limiting opponents’ options and revealing their strategy.
  2. Instant speed activation allows surprise plays, enhancing your adaptability during opponents’ turns.
  3. Demands careful deck construction around its specific mana requirements and discard effects.

Text of card

Fading 5 Remove a fade counter from Parallax Nexus: Target opponent removes a card in his or her hand from the game. Play this ability only if you could play a sorcery. When Parallax Nexus leaves play, each player returns to his or her hand all cards he or she owns removed from the game with Parallax Nexus.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Parallax Nexus presents an exclusive strategy to manipulate gameplay by exiling cards from your opponent’s hand, effectively giving you the upper hand as you gain access to more options while reducing their resources.

Resource Acceleration: This card effectively disrupts your opponent’s plan by removing potential threats or key components from their game, which, in essence, accelerates your position by slowing them down and tipping the scales in your favor.

Instant Speed: Parallax Nexus operates at instant speed, giving you the tactical advantage to surprise your opponent, disrupt their strategies during their turn, and maintain the element of surprise which is crucial in adapting to the ever-changing battlefield of a Magic the Gathering match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Parallax Nexus necessitates the exile of a card from your hand, diminishing your available options and potentially placing you at a disadvantage if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s necessity for two black mana can complicate deck-building strategies, particularly in multicolored decks where mana flexibility is crucial.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of several mana, including multiple from a single color, Parallax Nexus may seem less appealing when weighed against other disruptive spells that are less demanding on your mana base and can be played earlier in the game.


Reasons to Include Parallax Nexus in Your Collection

Versatility: Parallax Nexus doesn’t belong to a single deck archetype, offering broad adaptability across various strategies. Its ability to disrupt opponents while providing insight into their gameplay makes it a flexible addition to both control and tempo decks.

Combo Potential: This card’s unique exile and play feature can be instrumentally paired with other cards that capitalize on exiled cards, potentially unlocking powerful and unexpected combinations that can turn the tide of a game.

Meta-Relevance: Given that many competitive formats have players deploying finely-tuned decks, the disruption Parallax Nexus causes can be critical. It’s especially relevant in environments where knowing and strategically manipulating the opponent’s hand can lead to a significant advantage.


How to beat

The Parallax Nexus presents a unique challenge to MTG players with its ability to disrupt an opponent’s gameplay by temporarily removing cards from their hand. To effectively counter this, players should strategize to minimize the card’s impact. One of the most straightforward strategies is to empty your hand quickly, thus reducing the potential choices for your opponent to exile from it. Cards that allow you to play at instant speed help in this scenario, letting you cast spells in response to the Nexus’s trigger.

Another tactic involves using graveyard retrieval. Since Parallax Nexus only sets the exiled card aside temporarily, having ways to bring cards back from the graveyard ensures that even if your vital cards get hit, they’re not gone for good. Including cards with flash or abilities that trigger during your opponent’s turn can also help mitigate the downside of losing a key piece of your hand for a while.

In conclusion, while Parallax Nexus can be a daunting card to face, players can overcome its disruptive nature by adopting swift play styles, optimized hand management, and incorporating graveyard recursion to bounce back from its temporary card exile effect.


Cards like Parallax Nexus

Parallax Nexus is a unique entry in the realm of temporary exile cards in the MTG universe. It runs parallel to effects found in cards like Oblivion Ring, which exiles any nonland permanent until Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield. Parallax Nexus, however, focuses on exiling cards from opponents’ hands, offering a different tactical advantage.

Likewise, Tidehollow Sculler presents a similar hand disruption effect. It exiles a nonland card from an opponent’s hand while Sculler remains on the field. The difference with Parallax Nexus is that the Nexus can target multiple cards if it accumulates enough fade counters. On the other hand, we have Fiend Hunter, specializing in exiling creatures until it leaves play. Parallax Nexus distinguishes itself by not being creature-specific and having potential for repeatable use.

In sum, Parallax Nexus marks its territory within MTG by giving players strategic control over opponents’ hands. This versatility puts it in a league of its own when compared to single-target or permanent-specific exile cards. For players looking to disrupt and manage their opponents’ options, Parallax Nexus is a potent choice.

Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Tidehollow Sculler - MTG Card versions
Fiend Hunter - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - Lorwyn (LRW)
Tidehollow Sculler - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Fiend Hunter - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Parallax Nexus by color, type and mana cost

Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions
Demonic Embrace - MTG Card versions
Gloom - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Season of the Witch - The Dark (DRK)
Tourach's Gate - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Withering Wisps - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Funeral March - Homelands (HML)
Casting of Bones - Alliances (ALL)
Blanket of Night - Visions (VIS)
Necropotence - Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales (WOT)
Hecatomb - Masters Edition (ME1)
Megrim - Stronghold (STH)
Recurring Nightmare - Exodus (EXO)
Contamination - Urza's Saga (USG)
Maggot Therapy - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Murderous Betrayal - Nemesis (NEM)
Noxious Field - Prophecy (PCY)
Tainted Well - Invasion (INV)
Phyrexian Arena - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Gravestorm - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Mortiphobia - Torment (TOR)
Demonic Embrace - Core Set 2021 (M21)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Parallax Nexus MTG card by a specific set like Nemesis, 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 Parallax Nexus and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Parallax Nexus has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 The target opponent chooses which card to exile.

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