Startled Awake // Persistent Nightmare MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Startled Awake provides a unique twist on card advantage by potentially milling thirteen cards from an opponent’s library. This card advantage isn’t about drawing but effectively reducing the opponent’s resources, which in the right deck, can be a swift path to victory.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly offering traditional mana acceleration, Startled Awake’s secondary ability to return to your hand from the graveyard as Persistent Nightmare ensures continuous pressure without expending additional resources from your hand, allowing you to allocate mana elsewhere.

Instant Speed: Although Startled Awake is a sorcery, its ability to transform into Persistent Nightmare, which can then be cast for its meld cost at instant speed, offers flexibility to respond to an opponent’s end-of-turn plays before retransforming back into Startled Awake on your turn for yet another mill assault.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging with Startled Awake demands specific timing as it forces you to shuffle it back into your library after use, potentially disrupting your hand and overall game strategy due to this recycle mechanic.

Specific Mana Cost: Locked into a stringent blue mana demand, Startled Awake requires a three-island commitment that can be challenging for multicolored decks to consistently meet, possibly slowing deck tempo.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At an investment of four mana, including three that must be blue, Startled Awake’s initial mill effect is pricey compared to other cards in the same space, which may offer more flexible or repeatable milling opportunities for the same or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include Startled Awake in Your Collection

Versatility: Startled Awake offers dual functionality – it’s both a potent milling card and a creature. Its flexibility enables it to fit into various deck archetypes, from mill-focused strategies to more control-oriented decks that can capitalize on repeatedly casting it from the graveyard.

Combo Potential: Paired with cards that untap permanents, Startled Awake can mill opponents rapidly. It synergizes well with strategies that feed on graveyard manipulation, amplifying its combo viability in the right build.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where graveyard strategies are prevalent, Startled Awake can serve as both a proactive threat and a disruptor. As it forces opponents to focus on graveyard interaction, it remains a relevant choice for players anticipating a long game plan.

How to beat

Startled Awake is a unique card in the world of MTG that presents a dual challenge — it’s both a potent mill card and a creature. This distinct card forces an opponent to put the top thirteen cards of their library into their graveyard and then offers the potential for return as a creature. It’s a daunting task to overcome, but not an impossible one.

To counter Startled Awake successfully, instant speed removal or exile effects are highly effective, as they can be utilized either when Startled Awake is cast or when its creature form, Persistent Nightmare, is on the board. Cards that return creatures back to the hand, such as Unsummon, are also useful. Alternatively, graveyard shuffling effects such as those found on Gaea’s Blessing or the use of cards with the mechanic ‘Eldrazi,’ which also shuffle the graveyard back into the library, can nullify the milling aspect.

Therefore, when facing this distinctive card, a strategic approach blending instant removal with graveyard manipulation can effectively mitigate the threat posed by Startled Awake, preserving your valuable library and staying a step ahead in the game.

BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the strategic depths of MTG can transform a casual player into a formidable opponent. Startled Awake isn’t just another card to add to your collection; it’s a stake in the ground, challenging your adversaries with its milling prowess and the relentless return of Persistent Nightmare. We recommend harnessing this card’s unique capabilities to craft a deck that keeps your opponents on their toes, wary of the next wave of milling mayhem. Looking to refine your strategy, expand your collection, or just up the ante at your next game night? Embark on an informative journey with us and unearth the secrets to optimizing Startled Awake in your deck and mastering the art of the mill.