Contagious Nim MTG Card


Contagious Nim - Scars of Mirrodin
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Zombie
Abilities Infect
Released2010-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameScars of Mirrodin
Set codeSOM
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number58
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byEfrem Palacios

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers incremental advantages in MTG matches through its persistent infect counters ability.
  2. Perfect for decks utilizing proliferate strategies to enhance their battlefield presence.
  3. Requires mindful play due to its specific mana needs and potential hand disruption.

Text of card

Infect (This creature deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)

"This species has grown to be my preferred receptacle for our divine message." —Sheoldred, Whispering One


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Contagious Nim offers incremental advantage through infect counters that not only diminish an opponent’s life total but can also contribute to the win without necessarily dealing direct damage.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting resource acceleration, Contagious Nim can be a key piece in a proliferate strategy that enhances your various counters, potentially unlocking additional resources and effects faster.

Instant Speed: While Contagious Nim itself doesn’t function at instant speed, it synergizes well with instant-speed proliferate or buff spells that can surprise your opponent and turn the tide of battle unexpectedly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Players must be aware that playing Contagious Nim often necessitates other cards being discarded from the hand. This can lead to difficult decisions, especially when trying to maintain card advantage in a tight match.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring specific black mana to cast, this card may restrict deck-building options. Players using multi-color decks may find the specific mana cost a hurdle in optimizing their mana base to accommodate the Nim.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With Contagious Nim’s mana cost leaning on the higher side, players might deliberate its inclusion, considering there are more mana-efficient creatures that could be slotted into a deck to achieve similar or better results.


Reasons to Include Contagious Nim in Your Collection

Versatility: Contagious Nim offers flexible use across various black-aligned decks, thriving particularly in those that harness the proliferate mechanic or strategies focused on +1/+1 counters.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that spread -1/-1 counters or infect, Contagious Nim can become a persistent threat, growing with each death on the battlefield and synergizing with numerous strategies.

Meta-Relevance: With creature-based aggro decks being a steadfast component of many metagames, Contagious Nim serves as a robust inclusion that can scale in power as the game progresses and creatures meet their demise.


How to Beat Contagious Nim

The Contagious Nim card presents unique challenges for players on the battleground. This artifact creature often shines in decks focused around proliferate mechanics, allowing it to accrue multiple +1/+1 counters rapidly. However, understanding its strengths also reveals its vulnerabilities. Removing the Nim before it can stack counters is crucial, urging players to utilize instant-speed removal spells that can deal with the threat before it snowballs.

Spell options like Doom Blade or Path to Exile are perfect, as they can dispatch the Nim swiftly and efficiently, bypassing the regeneration ability that many artifact creatures boast. Additionally, employing board wipes can reset the state of play, though this is more resource-intensive. It’s also beneficial to manage the proliferation sources in your opponent’s deck, as this inhibits the growth of the Nim, among other potential threats.

When facing the Contagious Nim, strategize with quick action and precise removal to maintain control of the game. Preventing momentum on your opponent’s side is the key to overcoming the Nim’s infectious presence on the field.


Cards like Contagious Nim

Contagious Nim holds its unique place amongst creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It bears a resemblance to cards like Plague Myr, which not only functions as a creature but also adds mana to your pool, serving a dual purpose. Much like Contagious Nim, it also carries the infect mechanic, dealing damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.

In the same stream of thought, Core Prowler is another card that finds synergy with the infect theme. While its power and toughness may not rival the Nim, it offers an additional proliferate effect upon death, which can be pivotal in spreading -1/-1 counters or proliferating poison counters on your opponents.

Lastly, we cannot overlook Ichorclaw Myr in this circle of comparison. Though smaller in stature, this tiny Myr also boasts the infect ability and becomes a more substantial threat when blocked. The comparison sheds light on the strategic value that Contagious Nim, among others, provides to a deck focused on exploiting the infect mechanic in Magic: The Gathering.

Plague Myr - MTG Card versions
Core Prowler - MTG Card versions
Ichorclaw Myr - MTG Card versions
Plague Myr - Wizards Play Network 2011 (PWP11)
Core Prowler - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Ichorclaw Myr - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Cards similar to Contagious Nim by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Contagious Nim MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, 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 Contagious Nim and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Contagious Nim has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-01-01 A player who has ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action.
2011-01-01 Damage from a source with infect affects planeswalkers normally.
2011-01-01 Damage from a source with infect is damage in all respects. If the source with infect also has lifelink, damage dealt by that source also causes its controller to gain that much life. Damage from a source with infect can be prevented or redirected. Abilities that trigger on damage being dealt will trigger if a source with infect deals damage, if appropriate.
2011-01-01 If damage from a source with infect that would be dealt to a player is prevented, that player doesn’t get poison counters. If damage from a source with infect that would be dealt to a creature is prevented, that creature doesn’t get -1/-1 counters.
2011-01-01 Infect’s effect applies to any damage, not just combat damage.
2011-01-01 The -1/-1 counters remain on the creature indefinitely. They’re not removed if the creature regenerates or the turn ends.

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