Nightscape Battlemage MTG Card

Nightscape Battlemage - Planeshift (PLS)

Planeshift (PLS)
2001-02-05 - Number 47

Nightscape Battlemage - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
2005-08-22 - Number E39

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Zombie Wizard
Abilities	Kicker
Power	2
Toughness	2

Key Takeaways

Delivers tactical advantage by bouncing creatures or destroying lands, vital for maintaining board control.
Demands precise mana allocation, challenging deck flexibility but rewarding strategic play.
Embodies adaptability, crucial for decks countering varied threats in changing metagames.

Text of card

Kicker o U and/or o R When Nightscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the o U kicker cost, return up to two target nonblack creatures to their owners' hands. When Nightscape Battlemage comes into play, if you paid the o R kicker cost, destroy target land.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nightscape Battlemage stands as an ally to those who seek to outmaneuver opponents through card utility. When its kicker cost involving blue mana is paid, players can return up to two target creatures to their owner’s hand, disrupting the adversary’s board presence and swinging the balance in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana acceleration, the black mana kicker option indirectly accelerates your resources by destroying target land, potentially setting your opponent behind and smoothing the path for your strategy to unfold uninterrupted.

Instant Speed: The versatility offered by the Nightscape Battlemage extends to the timing of your plays. Though the card itself is a creature and doesn’t have instant speed, its ability to react to opponent strategies with its kicker effects during your turn adds a layer of strategic depth and surprise, akin to the benefits provided by instant speed spells.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nightscape Battlemage’s kicker abilities are compelling but come with the caveat that each comes with an additional mana cost. For players running low on cards, activating these abilities may not be feasible, leading to a less effective board presence and reduced strategic options.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost requires not just three mana but a specific combination, including both blue and black mana. This composition can restrict deck-building flexibility, forcing players to potentially adjust their mana base or exclude the card from mono-color or certain two-color decks where it might not fit the mana profile.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana to cast and additional mana for each kicker, the Nightscape Battlemage can be quite costly. In many scenarios, players may find that the total mana investment does not align with the card’s impact on gameplay when considering alternative cards in the same mana range that could offer more immediate or impactful board changes.

Reasons to Include Nightscape Battlemage in Your Collection

Versatility: Nightscape Battlemage is a flexible card capable of fitting into various decks. Its kickers offer valuable utility whether you’re aiming to remove artifacts or clear the board of creatures.

Combo Potential: This card interacts well with spells that care about casting multi-colored spells, plus its kickers can be combined with cards that care about spell effects or bounced to be used multiple times for recurring value.

Meta-Relevance: In metas dominated by artifacts or creatures, this card’s targeted removal abilities become exceptionally potent, providing answers to common threats while establishing board presence.

How to beat Nightscape Battlemage

Nightscape Battlemage is a flexible card in Magic: The Gathering that offers various utilities depending on the mana available upon casting. With its kicker abilities, it can be a nuisance by either destroying an artifact or returning two creatures to their owner’s hand. To effectively counter this versatile Mage, it is crucial to limit the utility gained from these abilities.

One strategy is to maintain a low-profile board presence, thus rendering the creature-return kicker less impactful. Cards that provide hexproof or indestructible can safeguard your critical assets from being bounced back to your hand. Moreover, by minimizing reliance on artifact strategies, you can dampen the effectiveness of the artifact destruction ability.

Another approach is to preemptively remove Nightscape Battlemage from the battlefield before it can capitalize on its kickers. Instant speed removal spells that can be played in response to the Battlemage’s cast are particularly effective. By staying ahead of the game and strategically deploying your resources, you can mitigate the disruption caused by Nightscape Battlemage and keep the battlefield in your favor.

Cards like Nightscape Battlemage

Nightscape Battlemage stands out in the realm of versatile creature cards within the game of Magic: The Gathering. It shares a kinship with cards like Nekrataal or Ravenous Chupacabra, which also offer the utility of removing an opponent’s threats upon entering the battlefield. While Nekrataal specifically targets nonartifact, nonblack creatures, and Ravenous Chupacabra offers a more general removal option, Nightscape Battlemage’s flexibility shines with additional modes at the cost of different mana combinations.

Much like Avalanche Riders, another card enabling player choices upon being played, Nightscape Battlemage allows for tactical decisions with its kicker costs. However, Avalanche Riders is more focused on land destruction, whereas Nightscape Battlemage can disrupt an opponent’s hand or destroy an artifact, providing broader control options depending on the game state. Its unique capability to impact multiple aspects of the game – creatures, hand, and artifacts – marks it as a multifaceted tool for any player’s arsenal.

Considering the strategic advantages each creature brings to the table, Nightscape Battlemage is a valuable card offering diverse solutions and roles depending on what the game demands, making it a versatile choice for deck builders and strategists alike.

Cards similar to Nightscape Battlemage by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nightscape Battlemage MTG card by a specific set like Planeshift and Salvat 2005, 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 Nightscape Battlemage and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nightscape Battlemage Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2001-02-05 and 2005-08-22. Illustrated by Andrew Goldhawk.