Nether Shadow MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 116
1993-10-04 - Number 117
1993-12-01 - Number 117
1993-12-10 - Number 117
1993-12-10 - Number 117
1994-04-01 - Number 118
1994-04-01 - Number 118
1994-06-21 - Number 118
1995-04-01 - Number 149
1995-04-01 - Number 149
1997-03-24 - Number 183
2007-09-10 - Number 77
2022-11-28 - Number 113
2022-11-28 - Number 410
| Card sets | Released in 14 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Abilities | Haste |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
If Shadow is in graveyard with any combination of cards above it that includes at least three creatures, it can be returned to play during upkeep for its normal casting cost. Shadow can attack on same turn summoned or returned to play.
Cards like Nether Shadow
Nether Shadow stands out in the realm of recurring creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to resurrect itself from the graveyard is shared with creatures like Bloodghast, which also returns to the battlefield, albeit with different conditions. Bloodghast relies on a land drop to come back, whereas Nether Shadow depends on the number of creature cards above it.
Another card worth comparing is Reassembling Skeleton. While it requires mana investment to return from the graveyard to the battlefield, it does so at any time, giving it a flexibility that Nether Shadow lacks. Furthermore, Phyrexian Reclamation offers a way to retrieve creatures from the graveyard to hand, multiple times, but again, at a cost of life and mana.
Each of these cards offers unique strategic advantages, but Nether Shadow’s self-recurring feature, cost-free aside from sufficient graveyard setup, makes it particularly useful in decks that manipulate the graveyard. This self-reliant shadow creature can easily become a persistent nuisance for opponents, proving its worth in certain MTG strategies.
Cards similar to Nether Shadow by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Nether Shadow. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Manaless Dredge | Legacy | Weekly Mont |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Nether Shadow has a recurring presence on the battlefield due to its ability to return from the graveyard to the battlefield under certain conditions. This unique trait ensures you maintain a creature in play without spending additional cards from your hand, subtly tipping the card advantage in your favor over the course of a game.
Resource Acceleration: While Nether Shadow itself doesn’t directly produce mana or treasure tokens, its low mana cost and self-recurring nature can be pivotal in decks that benefit from the sacrifice of creatures. This creature can contribute to strategies that exploit such sacrificial synergies, indirectly leading to resource acceleration by enabling other effects.
Instant Speed: Nether Shadow’s ability to resurrect at the beginning of your upkeep can feel almost like an instant speed play. Although you’re not casting it from your hand, its return can be tactically timed to coincide with your turn, readying it for combat or other synergies without requiring mana investment, allowing you to allocate resources elsewhere.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: To harness the full potential of Nether Shadow, you’ll need to strategize around its graveyard-triggered ability. This often means discarding other cards, a tactic that could diminish your hand and strategic options if overused or if the timing is off.
Specific Mana Cost: Nether Shadow’s casting requires black mana, which restricts it to black-themed decks or multicolored decks with a reliable mana base. This specialized mana requirement can make it a less versatile pick compared to more flexible creatures.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite being a small creature, Nether Shadow’s utility is somewhat offset by its specific conditions for returning to the battlefield. For the same mana cost, you might find creatures with more immediate board presence or less conditional abilities to enhance your gameplay right away.
Reasons to Include Nether Shadow in Your Collection
Versatility: Nether Shadow brings an intriguing dynamic to any deck leaning on graveyard strategies. With its ability to return from the graveyard to the battlefield, it can be a relentless threat that fits into recursive deck themes and graveyard-centric tactics.
Combo Potential: The card’s unique resurrection ability offers vast combo potential, especially when paired with sacrifice outlets or other cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield. This synergy creates opportunities for complex and powerful interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that values resilience and surprise factors, Nether Shadow stands out. Its persistent presence on the board makes it a relevant choice for players looking to outmaneuver opponents relying on creature removal to maintain control.
How to beat
Nether Shadow is a unique creature card that can be a thorn in the side of many MTG players due to its ability to resurrect from the graveyard. Rising from its own ashes like a phoenix, it constantly challenges players to come up with effective strategies to deal with this relentless shadow.
Overcoming Nether Shadow involves a mix of graveyard manipulation and exile effects. Playing cards that can exile it from the graveyard, such as Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void, can permanently remove Nether Shadow from the game, preventing its recursion ability from triggering. Strategic graveyard disruption with cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Bojuka Bog can also disrupt the conditions needed for its return, making these types of cards invaluable in your deck when facing this daunting creature.
In the end, understanding how Nether Shadow operates allows players to tactically navigate around its strengths. Clever deck construction and timely plays can neutralize its impact on the game, securing your path to victory against decks that rely on this resurrecting specter.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Nether Shadow MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Nether Shadow 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Nether Shadow Magic the Gathering card was released in 13 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 116 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 117 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 117 | 1993 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 117 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 117 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 118 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 118 | 1993 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 118 | 1993 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 149 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 149 | 1993 | Normal | White | Christopher Rush | |
| 11 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 183 | 1997 | Normal | White | DiTerlizzi | |
| 12 | 2007-09-10 | Masters Edition | ME1 | 77 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 13 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 113 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 14 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 410 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Nether Shadow has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Nether Shadow card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Note that bringing the Shadow back onto the battlefield from the graveyard is not a spell, it is an ability. It can’t be countered with something that counters spells. |
| 2004-10-04 | Since it enters the battlefield due to triggering at the beginning of upkeep, it is not possible to get an infinite loop with four Nether Shadows. |
| 2008-10-01 | A card is “above” another card in your graveyard if it was put into that graveyard later. |
| 2008-10-01 | If an effect or rule puts two or more cards into the same graveyard at the same time, the owner of those cards may arrange them in any order. |
| 2008-10-01 | Players may not rearrange the cards in their graveyards. |
| 2008-10-01 | Say you’re the owner of both a permanent and an Aura that’s attached to it. If both the permanent and the Aura are destroyed at the same time (by Akroma’s Vengeance, for example), you decide the order they’re put into your graveyard. If just the enchanted permanent is destroyed, it’s put into your graveyard first. Then, after state-based actions are checked, the Aura (which is no longer attached to anything) is put into your graveyard on top of it. |
| 2008-10-01 | The last thing that happens to a resolving instant or sorcery spell is that it’s put into its owner’s graveyard. Example: You cast Wrath of God. All creatures on the battlefield are destroyed. You arrange all the cards put into your graveyard this way in any order you want. The other players in the game do the same to the cards that are put into their graveyards. Then you put Wrath of God into your graveyard, on top of the other cards. |