Nylea's Emissary MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment Creature — Cat |
| Abilities | Bestow,Trample |
| Released | 2013-09-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Theros |
| Set code | THS |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 168 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Sam Burley |
Text of card
Bestow (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature.) Trample Enchanted creature gets +3/+3 and has trample.
Cards like Nylea's Emissary
Nylea’s Emissary brings a unique Bestow mechanic to the battlefield, akin to cards like Boon Satyr. Both feature the ability to either act as creatures or enchantments, but Nylea’s Emissary stands out with its ability to grant trample to the enchanted creature, a trait Boon Satyr doesn’t share. Additionally, Nylea’s Emissary’s power boost is slightly higher, amplifying its role in combat scenarios.
Another peer in this space is Observant Alseid, which also offers a Bestow ability. Although at a lower cost, the Alseid differs by providing vigilance instead of trample, tailoring to a more defensive strategy. Nylea’s Emissary thus fits better in aggressive decks craving the impactful trample ability.
Comparatively, Ghostblade Eidolon can be considered in decks utilizing Bestow. It doubles a creature’s power instead of just increasing it, which can be decisive during key battles. Although it doesn’t grant trample, its ability can be a game-changer. Nylea’s Emissary, with its straightforward power boost and trample, caters to consistent performance and thus carves its niche within the Bestow category in MTG.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Nylea’s Emissary offers the potential for card advantage by enhancing a creature’s power and thereby potentially winning more combats. This can translate to drawing extra cards in some gameplay situations where certain mechanics reward combat success or creature durability.
Resource Acceleration: As an enchantment creature with the bestow mechanic, it can act as a resource acceleration by being a flexible card. It can either be a creature itself or an aura that boosts another creature, effectively serving two roles with one card, saving resources in your hand for other strategic plays.
Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, this card synergizes well with instant speed spells and abilities. You can cast it as an aura in response to an instant speed interaction, like removal spells, to ensure your resources aren’t wasted, safeguarding your investment and accelerating your board presence in a dynamic way.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Nylea’s Emissary requires a significant commitment of cards if you’re utilizing the Bestow mechanic. When you’re already playing a creature-heavy strategy, sacrificing another creature from your hand can set you back in board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes green, this card is constrained to decks that run forests or have access to mana fixing. This requirement potentially makes it a poor fit for multicolored decks that are not green-centric.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Nylea’s Emissary comes with a mana cost that is on the higher end, especially if you intend to use its Bestow ability. In a game where tempo is key, there may be alternate cards that provide a similar effect or better advantages more promptly.
Reasons to Include Nylea’s Emissary in Your Collection
Versatility: This enchantment creature can serve multiple roles in your deck. Whether you’re using it to boost your creature’s power through its Bestow mechanic or as a standalone creature to maintain board presence, Nylea’s Emissary brings flexibility to gameplay strategies.
Combo Potential: In combination with other enchantments, Nylea’s Emissary provides a significant advantage, enhancing not only the creature it’s bestowed upon but also interacting well with enchantment-centric mechanics present in many green-focused deck builds for increased synergy.
Meta-Relevance: Given the consistent presence of creature-based strategies in the ever-evolving meta, the trample provided by Nylea’s Emissary ensures that your heavy hitters can push through blockers, potentially making this card a savvy inclusion for those looking to overcome decks with a plethora of creatures.
How to beat
Nylea’s Emissary is an interesting creature card that brings a mixed bag of strength and strategy to the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. With its ability to bestow and the permanent trample effect it offers, this card can become a thorn in your side if not dealt with promptly. Dealing with this card requires a good defense or a clever removal approach.
When facing an opponent’s creature enchanted with Nylea’s Emissary, it’s critical to have efficient removal spells at the ready. Cards such as Doom Blade or Murder can eliminate the threat before the creature grows too powerful. If you’re playing against a green deck wielding this card, consider sideboarding in enchantment removals like Naturalize or Disenchant to directly address the bestowed creature or the Emissary itself if it’s played as an enchantment.
Preemptively, employing counter-spells like Negate or Essence Scatter can prevent Nylea’s Emissary from hitting the field in the first place. Alternatively, taking control of the game early, by applying pressure to force your opponent to use resources inefficiently can mitigate the impact of Nylea’s Emissary.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Nylea's Emissary MTG card by a specific set like Theros, 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 Nylea's Emissary and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Nylea's Emissary has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Nylea's Emissary card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-09-15 | Auras attached to a creature don't become tapped when the creature becomes tapped. Except in some rare cases, an Aura with bestow remains untapped when it becomes unattached and becomes a creature. |
| 2013-09-15 | If a permanent with bestow enters the battlefield by any method other than being cast, it will be an enchantment creature. You can't choose to pay the bestow cost and have it become an Aura. |
| 2013-09-15 | On the stack, a spell with bestow is either a creature spell or an Aura spell. It's never both, although it's an enchantment spell in either case. |
| 2013-09-15 | Unlike other Aura spells, an Aura spell with bestow isn't countered if its target is illegal as it begins to resolve. Rather, the effect making it an Aura spell ends, it loses enchant creature, it returns to being an enchantment creature spell, and it resolves and enters the battlefield as an enchantment creature. |
| 2013-09-15 | Unlike other Auras, an Aura with bestow isn't put into its owner's graveyard if it becomes unattached. Rather, the effect making it an Aura ends, it loses enchant creature, and it remains on the battlefield as an enchantment creature. It can attack (and its abilities can be activated, if it has any) on the turn it becomes unattached if it's been under your control continuously, even as an Aura, since your most recent turn began. |