Sidewinder Naga MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 134
2020-08-13 - Number 218
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Naga Warrior |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
As long as you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, Sidewinder Naga gets +1/+0 and has trample.
"Those who embrace the harsh land rather than fight it find they have a powerful ally." —Nissa Revane
Cards like Sidewinder Naga
Sidewinder Naga is a card that sports nuances in gameplay for Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts, offering both power and conditional abilities. In line with creatures like Ainok Tracker, Sidewinder Naga provides a decent body for three mana. However, it distinguishes itself with the potential to gain trample, overshadowing the vanilla nature of its counterpart. To unlock its trample feature, one only needs to control a Desert land or have one in the graveyard, offering strategic depth akin to the Tracker’s formidable first strike when morphed.
The design parallels with the likes of Surrak, the Hunt Caller can also be noted. While Surrak outright bestows creatures with haste if you control formidable creatures, Sidewinder Naga’s ability is terrain-dependent, creating a unique deck-building challenge. Both cards cater to an aggressive playstyle, yet the Naga’s condition lends itself to land-centric deck themes. Lastly, the Harrowed Brawler from Theros: Beyond Death shares similarities in cost and potential power, but lacks Sidewinder Naga’s capacity to penetrate through blockers with trample, again showcasing the Naga’s situational advantage.
When delving into creature utility, Sidewinder Naga emerges as a versatile component for players crafting land-based strategies, striking balance between cost and potential impact on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Sidewinder Naga by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sidewinder Naga rewards players with an advantageous board presence when you control a Desert, or there is one in your graveyard, enhancing your capacity to dictate the flow of the match.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or resource acceleration, the Synergy with Desert lands can indirectly lead to accelerated plays, especially if those Deserts have abilities that untap lands or generate additional mana.
Instant Speed: While Sidewinder Naga itself isn’t an instant, its interaction with instants in your deck becomes pivotal. It commands attention the moment you have a Desert in play, enabling it to strike at a moment’s notice with its trample, acting swiftly and often unexpectedly after an instant speed Desert activation.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Sidewinder Naga’s ability to gain trample requires you to have played a desert or there to be one in your graveyard, which may necessitate strategic discard decisions. If your hand is already depleted, this requirement can further strain your resources, potentially leaving you in a poor position.
Specific Mana Cost: Sidewinder Naga demands both green mana and generic mana. This specific mana requirement can restrict your deck-building options, as it necessitates a certain concentration of green mana sources to cast effectively, which may not align with the mana base of all deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature with only 3 power and 2 toughness, the casting cost of three mana may seem steep, especially when compared to other creatures in the same mana range. This makes Sidewinder Naga less mana-efficient, potentially slowing down your gameplay and hindering your mana curve.
Reasons to Include Sidewinder Naga in Your Collection
Versatility: Sidewinder Naga is a flexible card that can adapt to various green-based decks, thriving in environments where landfall is a key mechanic. With the right land drops, it becomes a potent attacker that can easily fit into aggressive strategies.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with landfall triggers and effects that put multiple lands into play, enabling combos that can amplify its power and speed on the battlefield. Its trample ability ensures that, once pumped, it can punch through defenses to deal significant damage.
Meta-Relevance: In formats where landfall decks or green aggro strategies are prevalent, Sidewinder Naga can play a crucial role. Its ability to become a 3/2 creature with trample just by playing a land makes it a continuous threat each turn, aligning with the dynamics of a fast-paced meta.
How to beat
When facing off against the Sidewinder Naga in Magic: The Gathering, it’s imperative to understand its strengths to effectively counter it. This formidable creature becomes even more powerful when you control a desert or there’s one in your graveyard, granting it the ability to strike without being blocked for a turn. Given this ability, tactics such as land control become essential.
Denying the Naga its desert is key. Consider employing land destruction cards or graveyard manipulation spells that can disrupt the Naga’s power boost. Additionally, although it may possess the upper hand in desert-rich environments, without it, the Naga is vulnerable to creatures with superior stats or those with reach, which can block its attacks efficiently.
Adapting your strategy to manage the Naga involves timing and resource allocation. Removal spells, for instance, can be reserved for this creature, ensuring that even when it’s bolstered by a desert, it won’t be on the battlefield long enough to cause significant damage. By focusing on its dependance on specific lands, players can devise a plan to neutralize this threatening card with minimal impact on their own board state.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sidewinder Naga MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Sidewinder Naga 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
Printings
The Sidewinder Naga Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Victor Adame Minguez.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 134 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 218 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Victor Adame Minguez |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sidewinder Naga has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sidewinder Naga card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-07-14 | If an ability checks whether you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, having more than one doesn’t matter. Controlling one is the same as controlling five. There is also no extra bonus for both controlling one and having one in your graveyard. |