Nether Spirit MTG Card
1999-10-04 - Number 149
2001-08-08 - Number ar149
2019-06-14 - Number 98
2021-08-26 - Number 366
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, if Nether Spirit is the only creature card in your graveyard, you may return Nether Spirit to play.
It roams in both the worlds of the living and the dead but belongs to neither.
Cards like Nether Spirit
Nether Spirit is a unique card in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, fitting into the specific niche of recursive creatures that can return from the graveyard to the battlefield. Holding a resemblance to Bloodghast, which also has the ability to rise from the graveyard, Nether Spirit differs in that it only returns if it’s the only creature in your graveyard at the beginning of your upkeep. This presents a strategic nuance, as it requires careful graveyard management.
Nether Spirit shares characteristics with the relentless Reassembling Skeleton. Both can reanimate themselves, though Reassembling Skeleton’s ability requires mana investment, whereas Nether Spirit’s return comes at no cost. However, Skeleton’s versatility allows it to come back repeatedly, regardless of graveyard contents. Ichorid is another creature that comes back each turn but consumes other creatures in your graveyard as a cost, providing a different kind of recursive utility compared to Nether Spirit’s solitary condition.
Analyzing these creatures highlights Nether Spirit’s uniqueness in player strategies. Its no-cost revival can be exceptional in decks built around controlling the graveyard’s contents, making Nether Spirit a mainstay in formats like Legacy where such meticulous graveyard management is common.
Cards similar to Nether Spirit by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Nether Spirit. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mono-Black Midrange | Modern | Mono-Black Midrange | Modern League 2024-02-12 |
 | Mono-Black Pox | Legacy | Mono-Black Pox | Legacy Preliminary 2024-02-05 (1) |
 | Mono-Black Control | Premodern | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent | |
 | Pit Rack | Premodern | Eternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Nether Spirit ensures a recurring presence on the battlefield, effectively providing you with a creature card that returns from the graveyard to play, minimizing card loss and maintaining board state.
Resource Acceleration: While Nether Spirit itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its reliable return from the graveyard can save mana that would otherwise be spent on casting creatures from your hand, indirectly conserving resources for other uses.
Instant Speed: Although Nether Spirit doesn’t operate at instant speed, its resurrection happens during your upkeep, which adds an element of surprise and readiness to your strategy by ensuring you have a blocker or attacker at the ready each turn without spending mana.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: For Nether Spirit to be effective, your graveyard must be well-maintained with it being the only creature card. This necessitates strategic discarding or self-mill, potentially diminishing your on-hand options.
Specific Mana Cost: Nether Spirit’s casting cost of one colorless and two black mana can be restrictive for multicolored decks. This requirement may clash with the mana curve of diverse strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its potential for repeated recursion, Nether Spirit’s initial mana cost is substantial for its 2/2 stats. Other creatures or graveyard interaction spells might provide greater value or versatility for a similar investment.
Reasons to Include Nether Spirit in Your Collection
Versatility: Nether Spirit effortlessly slides into various deck builds, carving its niche in control and midrange strategies that thrive on recurrent creatures.
Combo Potential: This card becomes integral in setups focused on graveyard mechanics, synergizing with cards that manipulate the graveyard to create formidable combos more effectively.
Meta-Relevance: With graveyard strategies perennially popular in diverse formats, Nether Spirit maintains a level of relevance, particularly in environments where resilient creatures can tip the scales in your favor.
How to beat Nether Spirit
Nether Spirit presents a unique challenge as a creature card in the MTG landscape. It’s an entity that refuses to stay in the graveyard for long, making it a resilient threat in long battles. However, no card is unbeatable, and there are strategies to mitigate Nether Spirit’s impact on the game. The key is to prevent it from recurring, or to ensure its return is less disruptive.
Exile effects are your best friend against Nether Spirit, as they permanently remove it from play. Cards like Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void prevent the Spirit from executing its graveyard-triggered ability by ensuring it doesn’t hit the graveyard at all. Similarly, Graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace can neutralize the advantage Nether Spirit gives by making all graveyard-based interactions obsolete.
Additionally, you can use effects that force your opponent to sacrifice multiple creatures, thereby ensuring that Nether Spirit isn’t alone in the graveyard and thus cannot return. Board wipes are especially effective, as they deal with not only Nether Spirit but also any other threats your opponent develops. Remember, the best offense against a persistent threat like Nether Spirit is to control the battlefield and keep your opponent on the defensive.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Nether Spirit MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques and World Championship Decks 2001, 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 Spirit 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 Spirit Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1999-10-04 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999-10-04 | Mercadian Masques | MMQ | 149 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Alan Pollack | |
| 2 | 2001-08-08 | World Championship Decks 2001 | WC01 | ar149 | 1997 | Normal | Gold | Alan Pollack | |
| 3 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 98 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander | |
| 4 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 366 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Nether Spirit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Nether Spirit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-06-14 | If Nether Spirit isn’t the only creature card in your graveyard as its ability resolves, it remains in your graveyard. |
| 2019-06-14 | If Nether Spirit isn’t the only creature card in your graveyard as your upkeep begins, its ability won’t trigger. You can’t take any actions during your turn before your upkeep begins. |
| 2019-06-14 | If you have two Nether Spirits in your graveyard, they stop each other from returning. |