Nighthowler MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nighthowler stands out by harnessing the power of the graveyard to increase its own strength. As cards pile up in graveyards, Nighthowler gains +1/+1 for each creature card in all graveyards, which can quickly turn it into a formidable creature. This reality of incremental growth over time can easily shift the balance of power, creating a significant card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: One of the key attributes of Nighthowler is its Bestow mechanic, which allows you to use it as an aura instead of a creature. This flexibility means it can either be a threat on its own or enhance another creature, effectively serving as two cards in one and accelerating your on-board resources.

Instant Speed: While Nighthowler itself is not an instant, its Bestow mechanic interacts favorably in a game filled with instant-speed removal. When the enchanted creature dies, Nighthowler becomes a creature rather than going to the graveyard, providing an immediate response and maintaining board presence in situations where you might otherwise be set back.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A critical aspect to consider when playing Nighthowler is the potential card disadvantage. Without a reliable way to fill your graveyard, you may not maximize the benefit Nighthowler can offer, hindering its effectiveness in fast-paced games.

Specific Mana Cost: Nighthowler comes with a fixed color identity in black mana, which can restrict deck-building options. Those who run multicolored decks may find it challenging to accommodate Nighthowler without tweaking their mana base, potentially affecting the deck’s consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Nighthowler can be a powerhouse, its mana cost can be steep in the early game. Other creatures and enchantments at a lower cost can offer more immediate board presence or quicker synergies, so it’s important to balance Nighthowler’s impact against its mana demands.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Nighthowler offers a dual role as both an aura and a creature, making it a highly adaptable choice for decks built around graveyard strategies. Its strength grows with each creature card in all graveyards, fitting seamlessly into reanimator or self-mill decks.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combination with sacrifice or milling schemes. It can rapidly become a powerhouse on the battlefield, catching opponents off guard when paired with cards that fill graveyards quickly.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy decks prevail, Nighthowler becomes an asset. As opponents fill their graveyards with creatures, either through combat or other means, Nighthowler gains power, often turning the tides of the game.

How to Beat Nighthowler

Nighthowler stands out in Magic: The Gathering for its potential to become a formidable creature card. It thrives in a graveyard-rich environment, gaining strength from the number of creature cards that lie in all graveyards. To counteract the escalating power of Nighthowler, one strategy is to minimize the number of creatures in all graveyards. Cards that exile creatures from the graveyard like Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze are excellent tools for this task.

Another technique to tackle Nighthowler’s presence is to use enchantment removal spells. Since Nighthowler can also operate as an aura attached to another creature, being equipped with cards such as Return to Nature can dismantle this combo, leaving the opponent without their empowered creature.

Avoiding unnecessary combat that results in a high creature casualty rate on either side of the battlefield will also limit Nighthowler’s power escalation. Essentially, by maintaining tight control over graveyard populations and employing targeted removal, one can keep Nighthowler in check, ensuring it doesn’t turn into an insurmountable threat on the board.

BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring MTG’s depth, Nighthowler emerges as a unique card for graveyard enthusiasts. Its ability to evolve with each fallen creature provides a relentless edge, serving dual purposes as a creature or powering up others. Precision and strategy are key in harnessing its full potential, often requiring a balance between investment and payoff. If you appreciate nuanced play, where the graveyard becomes a resource rather than an endpoint, integrating Nighthowler into your deck can yield surprising victories. Enhance your MTG acumen and collection—dive deeper into the mechanics and strategies around Nighthowler with us.