Nimbus Swimmer MTG Card


Nimbus Swimmer grows with your mana, offering adaptable power and board presence throughout the game. Ideal for ramp decks, it benefits greatly from any form of mana acceleration available. Flash enablers complement the Swimmer, allowing for unexpected, end-of-turn threats.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Leviathan
Abilities Flying
Power 0
Toughness 0

Text of card

Flying Nimbus Swimmer enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.

The Simic soon discovered that the sky offered as few constraints on size as the sea.


Cards like Nimbus Swimmer

Nimbus Swimmer shines in Magic: The Gathering as a creature with a flexible nature, allowing players to tailor its power and toughness to the available mana. In the landscape of MTG’s vast array of creatures, it bears resemblance to other variable power beasts like Protean Hydra, which also scales with the mana invested in it. Yet, where Nimbus Swimmer gains flying—a trait giving it an edge in evasion—Protean Hydra boasts regeneration, making it a tenacious survivor on the battlefield.

Another kindred spirit is Hooded Hydra. This serpent shares the mana-flexible mechanic, yet it diverges with a death-trigger that produces a swarm of snake tokens, offering a different kind of tactical advantage post-combat. While Nimbus Swimmer’s flight is a formidable offense, Hooded Hydra excels in leaving behind a potential army.

When evaluating creatures that evolve with your mana pool, Nimbus Swimmer presents a versatile and straightforward choice. It’s the aerial threat among its peers, balancing the scale between a potential giant flyer and a modest sky blocker. This adaptability can make Nimbus Swimmer a key player in decks designed to utilize mana growth for a tempo-swinging emergence.

Protean Hydra - MTG Card versions
Hooded Hydra - MTG Card versions
Protean Hydra - MTG Card versions
Hooded Hydra - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Nimbus Swimmer shines when it comes to scaling with your game. For every mana invested, it nets a +1/+1 counter, effectively matching your mana spent with potential damage and board presence. This provides not just a creature, but a creature whose power is directly proportional to your available resources, meaning the Nimbus Swimmer can become a formidable force that reflects your mana growth over time.

Resource Acceleration: While the Nimbus Swimmer itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it is a perfect beneficiary of any form of ramp in your deck. From land searches to artifact-based mana boosters, each additional mana source charges up this creature’s entry effect, making each ramp spell that much more impactful when you cast your Nimbus Swimmer for the significant threat it becomes.

Instant Speed: Though the Nimbus Swimmer is a creature and not an instant, it pairs well with flash enablers which allow you to summon creatures at instant speed. This synergy lets you keep mana untapped for counterspells or other instant capabilities and still deploy a threatening creature at the end of your opponent’s turn, catching them unprepared for the size of the threat that you can muster with your unused mana.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nimbus Swimmer doesn’t force you to discard cards, which might lead players to think that its summoning flexibility is an advantage. However, this lack of discard requirement means that there’s no opportunity to harness discard synergy strategies or grave play that several blue and green decks capitalize on.

Specific Mana Cost: Nimbus Swimmer demands a hybrid mana investment, requiring both blue and green mana to cast. This potentially restricts its fit to multicolored decks exclusively, limiting its utility in mono-colored decks or ones with a different mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Nimbus Swimmer’s mana cost is XGU, enabling a scalable creature size, its initial investment of three mana (including one green and one blue) can be taxing early game. Other creatures at similar or lower costs may offer immediate impact, like evasion abilities or utility, which Nimbus Swimmer lacks without a substantial mana input.


Reasons to Include Nimbus Swimmer in Your Collection

Versatility: Nimbus Swimmer shines in a variety of deck types, making it a valuable asset in both aggressive and ramp-focused builds. Its scaling casting cost means it can be a sensible play at almost any stage of the game.

Combo Potential: With its ability to enter the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters, Nimbus Swimmer pairs well with any strategy that revolves around counter manipulation or benefits from creatures with large power and toughness.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors flying creatures or where games tend to go long, Nimbus Swimmer can often become a game-ending threat. Its flexibility makes it a smart choice against a wide range of opponents.


How to beat

Nimbus Swimmer is a versatile creature card in Magic: The Gathering, showcasing its adaptability through an X mana cost that determines its power and toughness upon entry to the battlefield. Players looking to counter Nimbus Swimmer should prioritize removal spells that can handle variable-sized threats. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile offer an efficient and cost-effective way to eliminate Nimbus Swimmer regardless of its size.

Another strategic approach involves countering Nimbus Swimmer’s casting itself. Since it’s crucial for a Nimbus Swimmer player to invest a significant amount of mana for it to be a substantial threat, countering spells such as Essence Scatter or Negate can disrupt their game plan by using minimal resources. Additionally, board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation are effective ways to clear the board, including any large Nimbus Swimmers that have taken to the skies.

In essence, when facing Nimbus Swimmer, players should have a plan that encompasses instant-speed removal, efficient counterplay, and board-wide solutions. This will help maintain control over the game and diminish the impact of this Mana-flexible creature.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the MTG universe with the Nimbus Swimmer, a dynamic creature that scales with your mana for a potent battlefield presence. Ramp up your game and adapt to the evolving board state as you harness this creature’s scalability. Whether you’re in the thick of a heated battle or building your collection, the Nimbus Swimmer is a card that offers growing power and flexibility, especially in metas that reward versatile flying creatures. Keen on exploring Nimbus Swimmer’s full potential in various deck builds or seeking strategies to counter it? Journey with us for deeper insights and expert guidance to refine your playstyle and elevate your MTG expertise.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nimbus Swimmer MTG card by a specific set like Gatecrash and Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora, 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 Nimbus Swimmer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nimbus Swimmer Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by Howard Lyon.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-02-01GatecrashGTC 1812003NormalBlackHoward Lyon
22015-02-27Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. KioraDDO 542015NormalBlackHoward Lyon
32019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 1202015NormalBlackHoward Lyon
42021-08-26Jumpstart: Historic HorizonsJ21 7062015NormalBlackHoward Lyon

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nimbus Swimmer has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal