Nightmare Unmaking MTG Card


Offers selective creature removal for advantageous board states and paves way for offensive strategies. Instant speed capability provides flexibility, making it a tactical asset during crucial game moments. Demands careful play considering its discard requirement and specific mana cost for optimal usage.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Choose one — • Exile each creature with power greater than the number of cards in your hand. • Exile each creature with power less than the number of cards in your hand.


Cards like Nightmare Unmaking

Nightmare Unmaking carves its niche within the realm of board control in Magic: The Gathering. Echoing the functionality of cards like Languish or Ritual of Soot, this unique spell offers a tailored solution for dealing with large swarms of creatures. Both Languish and Ritual of Soot primarily affect creatures with a lower toughness or converted mana cost, potentially leaving more formidable foes untouched. However, Nightmare Unmaking allows for selective removal based on the power of creatures, providing flexibility that its counterparts cannot.

Delving deeper into the arsenal of creature control, we encounter Crux of Fate that gives players the ability to choose between wiping out dragons or all other creatures. Its specificity in dealing eliminates entire categories but is limited to dichotomous choices. Nightmare Unmaking shines here with the fluidity to affect a composition of creatures regardless of their types, paving the way for a more dynamic and strategic play.

All in all, Nightmare Unmaking holds a significant position in the pantheon of MTG creature removal spells. Its adaptable nature in crippling opponent’s board state, hand in hand with careful planning, sets it up as a formidable counterpart to more rigid mass removal options within the game.

Languish - MTG Card versions
Ritual of Soot - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions
Languish - MTG Card versions
Ritual of Soot - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Nightmare Unmaking by color, type and mana cost

Reign of Terror - MTG Card versions
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Beacon of Unrest - MTG Card versions
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Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
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Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Plague - MTG Card versions
Spread the Sickness - MTG Card versions
Monomania - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions
Reign of Terror - MTG Card versions
Soul Shred - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Unrest - MTG Card versions
Final Punishment - MTG Card versions
Soul Feast - MTG Card versions
Sever Soul - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Aether Snap - MTG Card versions
Dance of Shadows - MTG Card versions
Brainspoil - MTG Card versions
Head Games - MTG Card versions
Promise of Power - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Grave - MTG Card versions
Incremental Blight - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Plague - MTG Card versions
Spread the Sickness - MTG Card versions
Monomania - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Revelation - MTG Card versions
Crux of Fate - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Nightmare Unmaking. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
DecklistDecklist Free formMO89#CS

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nightmare Unmaking excels in swinging the balance of the board in your favor by enabling selective creature removal. This can often result in a two-for-one or better scenario, effectively decimating your opponent’s battlefield presence while keeping yours intact.

Resource Acceleration: While Nightmare Unmaking itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, clearing the board of potential blockers or threats can pave the way for uninterrupted attacks, thus accelerating your potential victory.

Instant Speed: The power of instant speed cannot be overstated with Nightmare Unmaking. It allows you to strategically navigate complex turns, removing key creatures at the most opportune moment—perhaps during the declare attackers or end step of your opponent’s turn—without needing to commit resources during your own turn, keeping your options open.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Nightmare Unmaking, a player must discard a card to activate its secondary ability. This can deplete a player’s hand, leaving them at a disadvantage, particularly when facing opponents who can capitalize on decreased hand size.

Specific Mana Cost: Nightmare Unmaking demands a precise arrangement of mana, including black mana. This can present a challenge within decks that don’t consistently generate the necessary colors, rendering it a less versatile choice compared to more flexible removal spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The five mana investment required for Nightmare Unmaking can be demanding, especially in formats where speed is critical. Other cards at or below this cost threshold may provide more immediate impact or versatility in handling threats on the board.


Reasons to Include Nightmare Unmaking in Your Collection

Versatility: Nightmare Unmaking stands out with its ability to adapt to various game states. It serves as a key asset for control decks seeking to stabilize the board, as well as for midrange builds that thrive on maintaining creature superiority.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well in strategies focused on graveyard mechanics or those that can capitalize on the reduction of creature counts, potentially setting up devastating turns for the opponent.

Meta-Relevance: Given its proficiency in dismantling swarms of creatures, Nightmare Unmaking proves to be an essential tool in a meta dominated by token generation or creature-heavy aggro decks.


How to beat

Nightmare Unmaking is a potent black sorcery that can sway the tide of a game in MTG. It offers players the ability to tailor mass removal depending on the size of the largest creature on the battlefield. Its effectiveness in clearing a cluttered board of creatures makes it a force to be reckoned with. Despite its power, defeating it isn’t impossible. Players can respond to this by employing strategies that dodge its effects or mitigate the damage done.

To circumvent the threat of Nightmare Unmaking, consider using indestructible creatures or those that can regenerate or have significant enter-the-battlefield effects, and thus can offer value even if removed. Another tactical approach is keeping creature power diverse, so not all fall into the chosen power category of Nightmare Unmaking. Employing counterspells can outright neutralize this threat before it affects the board. Remember, consistency and keeping track of your opponents’ mana and cards in hand will drastically improve your chances against sweepers like Nightmare Unmaking.

In essence, while Nightmare Unmaking can clear the battlefield dramatically, a thoughtful strategy involving resilient creatures and timely counters can keep your board presence secure against such formidable magic.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is an art, and Nightmare Unmaking is a powerful brushstroke in your strategic tableau. With its creature decimating abilities, it’s an attractive addition for any player aiming to cripple swarming foes. Yet, careful planning is essential to leverage its benefits without falling prey to its demands. Our dive into this card’s pros and cons reveals the complexities and synergies that can make or break your game. Are you prepared to harness its potential? If you’re keen on refining your control strategies and craving more insights on optimal deck building, we invite you to join our community where your journey to dominance is just one click away.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nightmare Unmaking MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2019 and New Capenna 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 Nightmare Unmaking and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nightmare Unmaking Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-08-23 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Izzy.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-08-23Commander 2019C19 202015NormalBlackIzzy
22022-04-29New Capenna CommanderNCC 2532015NormalBlackIzzy
32023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 1142015NormalBlackIzzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nightmare Unmaking has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-08-23 Because Nightmare Unmaking is on the stack while it's resolving, it won't be counted among the cards in your hand.
2019-08-23 The power of creatures and the number of cards in your hand are checked only as Nightmare Unmaking resolves. Players may respond to the spell knowing the chosen mode to try to save or doom a creature.