Nissa's Judgment MTG Card


Support mechanic of Nissa’s Judgment allows for instant creature power boosts, ideal for combat surprises within your turn. This card’s reliance on creature presence can limit its use in creature-light scenarios, making timing crucial. Nissa’s Judgment fits well in counter-based decks, synergizing with other cards to strengthen creatures progressively.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Support

Text of card

Support 2. (Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.) Choose up to one target creature an opponent controls. Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it deals damage equal to its power to that creature.


Cards like Nissa's Judgment

Nissa’s Judgment is a notable card within Magic: The Gathering due to its dual functionality. It draws parallels with cards such as Hunt the Weak, another spell that allows one of your creatures to fight an opponent’s creature. However, Nissa’s Judgment offers a key difference by also giving your creature +1/+1 counters equal to your total number of creatures, thus potentially tipping the scales significantly in your favor during battle.

Another similar card is Savage Stomp, which, like Nissa’s Judgment, is a sorcery that also involves a fighting mechanic. While it costs less mana, it only provides a single +1/+1 counter. Then there is the Prey Upon card, a straightforward and cost-effective fighting spell that lacks the counter bonus entirely. The extra punch provided by Nissa’s Judgment’s support counters may overshadow Prey Upon’s efficiency in terms of long-term battlefield presence.

Through comparison, it’s clear that Nissa’s Judgment offers a blend of aggression and bolstering potential that aligns well with decks seeking to maximize creature strength. Its combination of immediate impact and enhancement of creatures gives it a unique stance in the MTG card ecosystem, making it a versatile choice for players crafting a creature-focused strategy.

Hunt the Weak - MTG Card versions
Savage Stomp - MTG Card versions
Prey Upon - MTG Card versions
Hunt the Weak - MTG Card versions
Savage Stomp - MTG Card versions
Prey Upon - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nissa’s Judgment not only deals with threats by distributing +1/+1 counters, but also potentially removes opponents’ creatures, shifting the card balance in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct mana accelerator, the card’s synergy with creatures can quickly escalate board presence, effectively accelerating your resource’s impact.

Instant Speed: Although Nissa’s Judgment is a sorcery, its Support mechanic allows for an immediate increase in your creatures’ power, enabling decisive combat scenarios within your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Nissa’s Judgment requires you to have at least one creature to bolster. Thus, in situations where your battlefield is lacking creatures, this card may sit idle in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Nissa’s Judgment comes with a green-specific mana cost, making it exclusively favorable in green decks or those that can accommodate green mana, potentially limiting its versatility across varied deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing five mana to cast, Nissa’s Judgment is on the higher side when it comes to removal spells, especially considering that the card’s impact may not always correlate with its cost, particularly in fast-paced games where lower-cost spells could be more impactful.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Nissa’s Judgment brings adaptability to green-based decks, offering both creature enhancement and a unique way to deal with opponents’ threats. As a two-in-one solution, it provides a significant tactical advantage whether you’re facing down creatures or need just a bit more power on the board.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that capitalize on counters, thus snowballing the presence of your creatures while simultaneously clearing the path for a victorious assault. The scalability it offers ensures that it’s never a dead draw, especially when combined with other counter-accumulating cards.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that frequently oscillates between aggressive and creature-heavy decks, Nissa’s Judgment can serve as a crucial pivot, adapting to various situations. It can tip the balance in your favor, particularly in matchups where control over the board is the linchpin of victory.


How to beat

Nissa’s Judgment is a compelling card from the realm of MTG, offering a unique blend of creature empowerment and precision removal. When you’re up against it, a crucial strategy is to manage your creatures wisely. Unlike cards that indiscriminately affect the board, Nissa’s Judgment requires a target creature controlled by its caster to distribute +1/+1 counters. This means that minimizing the number of targets on your side of the battlefield can curb its power.

Focusing on instant-speed removal can give you an edge as well. You can disrupt the card’s effectiveness by removing the target creature in response to the spell before the counters are placed and the fight mechanic is executed. Cards with hexproof or shroud can also be pivotal since they are harder to target, nullifying the threat of Nissa’s Judgment. Lastly, remember this spell’s dependence on the board state; if your opponent lacks a significant creature presence, its impact is greatly diminished. By maintaining control and making calculated plays, you can turn the tables on Nissa’s Judgment and maintain the upper hand in your match.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nissa's Judgment MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Ravnica: Clue Edition, 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 Nissa's Judgment and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nissa's Judgment Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2024-02-23. Illustrated by Tyler Jacobson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-01-22Oath of the GatewatchOGW 1392015NormalBlackTyler Jacobson
22024-02-23Ravnica: Clue EditionCLU 1702015NormalBlackTyler Jacobson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nissa's Judgment has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-01-22 As Nissa’s Judgment resolves, if at least one of its targets is still legal, it will resolve, affecting only targets that are still legal at that time. If none of its targets are still legal at that time, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen.
2016-01-22 If a spell with support has other abilities that target creatures, those abilities and the support ability can target the same creature.
2016-01-22 Support can target a creature you don’t control.
2016-01-22 You can’t put more than one +1/+1 counter on any one target using the support action.
2016-01-22 You finish the support action before any creatures deal damage. Creatures that get a +1/+1 counter will deal damage to the creature an opponent controls, if applicable.