Nikya of the Old Ways MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Centaur Druid
Power 5
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Nikya excels in creature-dense decks, acting as a substantial mana ramp for bolder plays.
  2. She’s a strategic card, enabling potent combos but limits noncreature spellcasting.
  3. Ideal for Gruul decks, Nikya can define and elevate your board presence swiftly.

Text of card

You can't cast noncreature spells. Whenever you tap a land for mana, add one mana of any type that land produced.

"The hooves of the Raze-Boar will trample the weak—and their city—to dust!"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nikya of the Old Ways does not directly provide card draw but by doubling the mana from your lands, it essentially allows you to cast twice as many spells. This can be equated to card advantage, as you have more resources to utilize your hand effectively and deploy your threats at an accelerated pace.

Resource Acceleration: One of the most notable strengths of Nikya of the Old Ways is the ability to ramp up your mana production significantly. The doubling effect for lands is a powerful form of resource acceleration that can put you leaps and bounds ahead of your opponents in terms of the mana available to cast formidable creatures and activate demanding abilities.

Instant Speed: Although Nikya of the Old Ways operates at sorcery speed, this Resident allows for a strategic build-up of the board state that can be leveraged at instant speed later on. With an abundance of mana at your disposal, keeping it open for instant-speed interactions becomes more feasible, ensuring that your turns are impactful and your responses are always at the ready.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Nikya of the Old Ways often means adjusting your play style, as it disallows the casting of noncreature spells. This particular condition could lead you to discard impactful instants and sorceries that could otherwise turn the tide of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost is locked into a rigid combination of red and green, making it a challenging fit for decks that wish to tap into a broader spectrum of the color pie. Decks that aren’t dedicated Gruul (red-green) may find integrating Nikya restrictive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, including two that must be red and green, Nikya of the Old Ways sits in a high bracket, especially considering that many game-altering creatures enter the battlefield for less. This can slow your game plan down, especially in fast-paced matches where every turn counts.


Reasons to Include Nikya of the Old Ways in Your Collection

Versatility: Nikya of the Old Ways serves as a powerhouse in creature-centric decks, offering a substantial mana boost by doubling the production from your lands. This opens up doors for high-impact plays much earlier than usual.

Combo Potential: Due to her ability to ramp mana significantly, she can act as a key piece in combos that require a lot of mana to execute. With her on the board, you can unleash a flurry of creature spells or activate abilities that would otherwise be out of reach.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-heavy decks prevail, Nikya stands out by enhancing your ability to play those impactful creatures quickly and outpace your opponents. Her influence on the game can tip the scales in your favor, making her a valuable addition in such an environment.


How to beat

Nikya of the Old Ways is a formidable Magic: The Gathering card that rewards players for a creature-centric strategy. With the ability to double your mana from lands, it can swiftly turn the tides by enabling massive plays in a single turn. However, every card has its Achilles’ heel, and Nikya is no exception. To counter this Gruul powerhouse, consider utilizing removal spells that can bypass the creature-based restriction imposed by Nikya. Cards like Ravenous Chupacabra or Bedevil that can target and destroy without relying on noncreature spells can be excellent choices.

When facing a deck with Nikya of the Old Ways, it’s crucial to keep board wipes at the ready. Since Nikya encourages a battlefield teeming with creatures, a well-timed wrath effect can clear the way and leave your opponent’s mana doubling strategy in ruins. Another angle is to exploit the deck’s potential lack of noncreature spells by using efficient counter strategies using enchantments or artifacts which remain unaffected by Nikya’s limitation. With the right strategy and a little foresight, turning the tide against Nikya of the Old Ways is entirely within reach.


BurnMana Recommendations

Grasping the nuances of Nikya of the Old Ways gives MTG players a strategic edge in creature-heavy formats. Embracing her mana doubling advantage can be the gateway to casting titanic creatures and activating powerful abilities sooner than your opponents anticipate. If the dynamics of fervently using lands to outpace opponents in resource-rich play excites you, then diving deeper into strategies centered around Nikya is your next move. Delve into our comprehensive guide where we unveil tactics, synergies, and deck-building secrets that harness the full potential of Nikya of the Old Ways. Join our community and transform your MTG sessions into a realm of boundless mana and colossal plays.


Cards like Nikya of the Old Ways

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Nikya of the Old Ways serves as a beacon for decks that are heavy on creatures. Comparing Nikya to other mana doublers like Zendikar Resurgent reveals a trade-off – while Zendikar Resurgent offers an additional card draw on creature casting, Nikya restricts non-creature spells. However, Nikya doubles all mana produced by lands, not just from lands tapped for casting creatures, providing a significant ramp.

Another card to consider is Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger, which also doubles the mana from lands but its upside comes with a substantial downside for opponents – their lands don’t untap during their next untap step. The intimidatory presence of Vorinclex can sway the game, whereas Nikya’s role is to empower your own board without directly disrupting others.

Assessing this cohort of mana amplifier cards showcases Nikya of the Old Ways’ unique utility in creature-focused decks. Despite the noncreature spell limitation, its potential for explosive plays secures its niche among Magic: The Gathering’s diverse range of ramp strategies.

Zendikar Resurgent - MTG Card versions
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger - MTG Card versions
Zendikar Resurgent - Oath of the Gatewatch Promos (POGW)
Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger - New Phyrexia (NPH)

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Sunastian Falconer - Masters Edition III (ME3)
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Blitz Hellion - Alara Reborn (ARB)
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Thromok the Insatiable - Planechase Anthology (PCA)
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Ulrich of the Krallenhorde // Ulrich, Uncontested Alpha - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Raging Swordtooth - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Regisaur Alpha - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nikya of the Old Ways MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance Promos and Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Nikya of the Old Ways and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nikya of the Old Ways Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-01-25 and 2019-01-25. Illustrated by Ryan Pancoast.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12019-01-25Ravnica Allegiance PromosPRNA 193s2015normalblackRyan Pancoast
22019-01-25Ravnica AllegianceRNA 1932015normalblackRyan Pancoast

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nikya of the Old Ways has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2019-01-25 If you tap a land for more than one mana, you choose one type that was produced and add one mana of that type.
2019-01-25 Nikya doesn’t care about any restrictions or riders your lands put on the mana they produce, such as those of Unclaimed Territory and Guildmages’ Forum. It just produces one mana of the appropriate type, with no restrictions or riders.
2019-01-25 The types of mana are white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless.

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