Neyali, Suns' Vanguard MTG Card


Enhances card advantage and momentum by allowing players to play creature spells from the library. Accelerates resource gaining, enabling the player to play additional lands each turn. Supports instant-speed plays, offering the flexibility to cast creatures with flash during the opponent’s turn.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Rebel
Power 3
Toughness 3

Text of card

Attacking tokens you control have double strike. Whenever one or more tokens you control attack a player, exile the top card of your library. During any turn you attacked with a token, you may play that card.


Cards like Neyali, Suns' Vanguard

Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard brings fresh tactical options to Magic: The Gathering as a powerful legendary creature. Comparable to commanders like Adriana, Captain of the Guard, Neyali stands out with a distinctive effect that grants indestructible to other tapped creatures you control. While Adriana bolsters the power of your attacking creatures, Neyali offers a strategic advantage by protecting your offensive lineup.

Similarly, Kytheon, Hero of Akros presents a personal transformation into an indestructible planeswalker, yet Neyali applies this durable quality across your forces. Both cards influence the board but shine in different scenarios. Tajic, Blade of the Legion is another noteworthy mention, as it also offers indestructibility. However, Tajic protects only itself unless bolstered by battalion, whereas Neyali provides a blanket of protection without requiring a specific number of attackers.

When stepping back to evaluate their potential impact, Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard carves a niche in MTG by offering both an offensive and defensive advantage, distinguishing itself from other commanders with its capacity to preserve and empower strategies focused on wide, aggressive board states.

Adriana, Captain of the Guard - MTG Card versions
Tajic, Blade of the Legion - MTG Card versions
Adriana, Captain of the Guard - MTG Card versions
Tajic, Blade of the Legion - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard shines in decks that capitalize on card advantage. With her ability to peek at the top card of your library and cast creature spells from the top, your deck’s engine keeps running smoothly, ensuring that you have a steady flow of playable cards. This edge maintains your pace, keeping you a step ahead in the resource game.

Resource Acceleration: The Suns’ Vanguard is not just about maintaining momentum but also accelerating it. Her ability to let you play additional lands on your turn can escalate your mana resources, allowing for more substantial plays earlier in the game. This resource acceleration is crucial for outpacing opponents in the critical early to mid-stages of a match.

Instant Speed: In the world of MTG, the power to act at instant speed cannot be overstated. Although Neyali herself does not have an instant speed ability, her potential to cast creatures with flash off the top of your library at instant speed can catch adversaries off-guard. This reactive playstyle provides flexibility, allowing you to adapt to the current board state and make surprise plays that can turn the tide of battle in your favor.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard demands that you discard a card to activate its ability. While this can sometimes be beneficial, it’s often a setback, especially if you’re aiming to maintain a full hand for options or synergies within your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s cost is locked into a specific color combination, necessitating a strict commitment to those colors within your deck. This could potentially restrict deck-building flexibility and make it tricky to cast in a multicolored or mana-starved situation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard carries a mana value that can be considered high for its immediate impact on the game. In competitive play, where efficiency is key, other options with lower mana requirements may be preferred to maximize your plays per turn.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard offers amazing flexibility in deck building. Its ability to generate value through tokens and life gain makes it a strong inclusion in a variety of white-based strategies, from aggressive builds to more controlling life gain themes.

Combo Potential: Neyali’s ability to create tokens not only bolsters your battlefield but also synergizes with numerous cards that capitalize on token generation or life gain. This opens up possibilities for powerful combos that can dominate the game.

Meta-Relevance: With a shift towards creature-centric play, Neyali fits snugly into the current competitive environment. Its ability to consistently provide board presence and life buffer makes it a valuable card against an assortment of decks in the meta.


How to beat

Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with her ability to prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to attacking creatures you control. This effectively makes your attacking forces indestructible during combat, which can be intimidating to face. However, like all cards in Magic the Gathering, Neyali isn’t without her vulnerabilities.

To overcome Neyali’s protection, focus on using removal spells that do not rely on dealing damage. Cards with effects that say “destroy” or “exile” can effectively bypass Neyali’s combat safeguard. Spells such as Path to Exile or Murderous Rider are excellent tools to have in your arsenal. Additionally, board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation can clear the field without targeting individual creatures, thus negating Neyali’s damage prevention ability.

Remember that Neyali’s ability is limited to combat damage. Therefore, leveraging non-combat damage sources, such as abilities or spells that deal direct damage like Shock or Lightning Bolt, can weaken the opposing player’s position without engaging in combat. Strategic play will turn the tides against Neyali, Suns’ Vanguard and lead you to victory.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Neyali, Suns' Vanguard MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander and Phyrexia: All Will Be One Commander, 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 Neyali, Suns' Vanguard and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Neyali, Suns' Vanguard Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by Bryan Sola.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 302015NormalBlackBryan Sola
22023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 22015NormalBlackBryan Sola
32023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One CommanderONC 382015NormalBlackBryan Sola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Neyali, Suns' Vanguard has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-02-04 Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.
2023-02-04 Neyali's effect doesn't change when you can cast the exiled card. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase when the stack is empty.
2023-02-04 The card Neyali exiles is exiled face up.
2023-02-04 The effect allowing you to cast the exiled card if you attacked with a token continues to apply even if Neyali leaves the battlefield or another player gains control of it. It also continues to apply during later turns—as long as you attacked with a token during those later turns.
2023-02-04 The second ability of Neyali, Suns' Vanguard triggers for each player you are attacking with one or more tokens. It does not trigger if you are attacking a planeswalker a player controls, but not that player.
2023-02-04 You can cast the exiled card if the token that attacked is still in combat, if it's left combat, if it's left the battlefield, or even if combat is over.