Naya Battlemage MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Shaman
Released	2008-10-03
Set symbol
Set name	Shards of Alara
Set code	ALA
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	142
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steve Argyle

Key Takeaways

Naya Battlemage provides card advantage and instant speed plays, crucial for maintaining momentum.
Drawbacks include a strict mana cost for activation and a potentially high overall mana investment.
Versatility and combo potential make it a worthy addition to MTG collections for varied strategies.

Text of card

, : Target creature gets +2/+0 until end of turn. , : Tap target creature.

"I have trained in all three schools of magic."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Naya Battlemage provides a strategic edge by offering the option to repeatedly put creatures on top of your library, ensuring you draw into the threats you need to press your advantage in upcoming turns.

Resource Acceleration: The Tap ability of Naya Battlemage allows you to ramp your mana, giving you the ability to cast high-cost spells earlier than usual or outpace your opponent’s resources, ensuring a swift build-up of your battlefield presence.

Instant Speed: Activating Naya Battlemage’s abilities at instant speed provides the flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn. This means you can adjust your strategy based on their moves, potentially saving a creature from removal or preparing your next draw after your opponent has committed to their actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Naya Battlemage demands a card to be discarded to trigger its ability. For players managing their hand size or holding key cards for later strategies, this cost can be detrimental, potentially forcing a disadvantageous decision.

Specific Mana Cost: The activation cost of Naya Battlemage’s abilities are tied to specific colors – red, green, and white – making it less flexible. This can be a stumbling block in decks that struggle with color fixing or run on a tight mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The combined cost for casting and utilizing Naya Battlemage’s abilities is steep. Considering that this cost is spread out over multiple turns, in the fast-paced games, players may find this mana investment yielding too slow a return, especially against decks that can put out threats more efficiently.

Reasons to Include Naya Battlemage in Your Collection

Versatility: Naya Battlemage offers a flexible skill set, capable of fitting into various deck archetypes. As a creature that provides both tactical offense and defense, it can adapt to shifting battlefield conditions and help you pivot your strategy mid-game.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that exploit tap and untap mechanics or benefit from the command over multicolored mana. It can act as a critical component in sophisticated combos, unlocking new lines of play.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where creature-based strategies are paramount, Naya Battlemage can offer significant value. It can help establish board presence and interact advantageously against commonly played creature types.

How to beat

The Naya Battlemage card presents an intriguing challenge with its versatility in Magic: The Gathering. This card has the ability to either tap down threats or buff your creatures, depending on your mana pool. The key to overcoming Naya Battlemage lies in eliminating it before its controller can fully capitalize on its abilities. Spot removal spells are highly effective here, as they can dispatch the Battlemage with minimal cost and prevent any long-term advantage it might provide. Similarly, control strategies that limit the opponent’s ability to cast spells or activate abilities can also render Naya Battlemage ineffectual.

Another approach involves outpacing the Battlemage with aggressive strategies. Overrunning your opponent with a swarm of creatures before they can establish a presence with Naya Battlemage or taking advantage of its single-red mana activation cost, which can leave the opponent’s mana base stretched if they’ve opted to use the ability. It’s essential to consider Naya Battlemage’s multicolor nature and recognize that mana disruption can also hinder its effectiveness, stranding it in the player’s hand or on the battlefield without impact.

In summary, Naya Battlemage requires swift answers. Whether through direct removal, disruption, or swifter aggression, dealing with it promptly is key to minimizing the advantages it offers in gameplay.

Cards like Naya Battlemage

The Naya Battlemage card is an intriguing choice for players looking to bolster their decks with utility creatures. Similar to cards like Knotvine Mystic, Naya Battlemage provides a means of tapping for mana of different colors, enabling a swifter casting of diverse spells. Knotvine Mystic, however, demands mana to be tapped, whereas Naya Battlemage offers direct tapping of creatures to produce mana, providing additional flexibility and synergies with creature-based strategies.

Looking at Fires of Yavimaya, we find another parallel in granting creatures haste, allowing them to swing into action without delay. While Fires of Yavimaya is an enchantment that affects all creatures you control, Naya Battlemage’s haste ability is targeted, yet can be repeatedly utilized as long as you have the mana and creatures to tap. Additionally, other cards like Zhur-Taa Druid not only tap for mana but also deal damage to each opponent, giving a more aggressive edge to the mana ramping process. Nevertheless, it doesn’t provide the tactical haste utility that Naya Battlemage does.

Comparing features and considering the adaptability they bring to the battlefield, Naya Battlemage maintains a distinct position within Magic the Gathering’s multifunctional mana dorks, thanks to its combination of mana ramp and speed enhancement capabilities.

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

Thornscape Battlemage - MTG Card versions

Marath, Will of the Wild - MTG Card versions

Jared Carthalion, True Heir - MTG Card versions

Minsc, Beloved Ranger - MTG Card versions

Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second - MTG Card versions

Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer - MTG Card versions

Hazezon, Shaper of Sand - MTG Card versions

Huatli, Poet of Unity // Roar of the Fifth People - MTG Card versions

Wayta, Trainer Prodigy - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Naya Battlemage MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara, 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 Naya Battlemage and other MTG cards: