Nessian Wanderer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Satyr Scout
Abilities Constellation
Power 1
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. It facilitates card advantage by revealing enchantments when lands enter play.
  2. Implements indirect resource acceleration aligning with landfall synergies.
  3. Its instant-speed ability flexibly triggers on both your own and opponents’ turns.

Text of card

Constellation — Whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, look at the top three cards of your library. You may reveal a land card from among them and put that card into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nessian Wanderer excels at helping maintain an ample hand by letting you look at the top three cards of your library. Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may reveal an enchantment card from among those cards and put it into your hand, effectively increasing your available resources and options.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Nessian Wanderer contributes to resource acceleration by consistently fetching enchantment cards that often synergize with landfall or offer other forms of mana ramp. This indirect acceleration ensures you get more out of each land you play.

Instant Speed: The Wanderer’s ability triggers at instant speed whenever a land enters your battlefield. This means you can benefit from this ability even during your opponent’s turns, should you have instant-speed ways to play lands, which can be a significant advantage for maintaining momentum and card flow.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nessian Wanderer demands a steady flow of land cards to trigger its ability, potentially forcing players to choose which critical resources to keep or discard.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes green mana, Nessian Wanderer may not seamlessly fit into multicolor decks that have a tight mana base or require a diverse spell repertoire.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana might be seen as an investment, especially when considering the tempo of the game where lower-cost creatures or spells could have an immediate impact on the board state.


Reasons to Include Nessian Wanderer in Your Collection

Versatility: Nessian Wanderer is a flexible card that can be integrated into several deck archetypes. This creature excels in decks that capitalize on landfall triggers or enchantment synergies, consistently providing value as you play enchantments.

Combo Potential: With its ability to reveal and put land cards into your hand when casting enchantments, Nessian Wanderer can serve as a pivotal piece in combinations that flourish with increased land drops or enchantment casts, potentially setting up game-winning conditions.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment with prevalent enchantment-based strategies, Nessian Wanderer gains added significance by ensuring consistent land drops to maintain the pace against competitive decks and facilitate key plays throughout the match.


How to beat

The Nessian Wanderer brings a unique strategy to the battlefield, bolstering your land searches and ensuring a steady stream of terrain onto the playing field. This little scout is particularly handy in decks emphasizing landfall triggers or multi-color configurations that demand diverse mana resources. While not directly a threat, the Wanderer can be a thorn in your side, passively accumulating value over time.

Countering this card involves interrupting the shuffling effect it takes advantage of. Removal spells can nip this problem in the bud, so immediate responses like Fatal Push or Path to Exile are effective. Another avenue is applying pressure; a fast-paced, aggressive deck can outpace the value generated by the Wanderer. Laying down threats that demand immediate answers can divert attention from the land-seeking strategy and back onto the battlefield, where the Nessian Wanderer is a mere bystander rather than a participant.

Strategically, although the Wanderer may seem unassuming, it’s part of an engine that could spell defeat if left unchecked. Thus, recognizing the card’s potential early on in the match and disrupting the engine it’s part of should be your priority. With the right response, this scout’s journey can be cut short, giving you the upper hand in the matchup.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering your MTG deck is akin to navigating a complex labyrinth of strategy and foresight. Nessian Wanderer, a small piece to this grand puzzle, offers potential for those adventurous enough to explore landfall and enchantment synergies. Assembling the right deck components is an art form, and cards like the Wanderer are the brushstrokes that create the masterpiece. If your collection aims to harness the power of enchantment-based strategies, consider the versatility and combo potential the Nessian Wanderer delivers. For further insights and tactical advice on optimizing your deck, the tools and wisdom await at BurnMana, your guide to becoming a master strategist in the realm of MTG.


Cards like Nessian Wanderer

Nessian Wanderer carves a niche for itself in the realm of card advantage and deck thinning for MTG green decks. Its closest relatives are cards like Satyr Wayfinder and Borderland Ranger. The former, much like Nessian Wanderer, fetches lands but with a pleasantly surprising twist in that it discards the rest, an attribute beneficial for graveyard synergy. Borderland Ranger stands out by not only fetching a land but also placing it straight into your hand, offering immediate access unlike the Wanderer’s scry-like ability.

Another companion in this group is Civic Wayfinder which mirrors the Ranger’s hand advantage. However, none of these alternatives boasts the consistent land digging prowess of Nessian Wanderer, poised to trigger with each enchantment cast. It’s this persistence of effect that sets Nessian Wanderer apart. On the other hand, like the Wanderer, Wood Elves ensures land retrieval but puts the land into play directly, which could be more impactful in a match where tempo is key.

Considering these nuances, Nessian Wanderer holds its ground as a solid choice among its peers, particularly within enchantment-heavy decks where its ability can be exploited to its maximum potential.

Satyr Wayfinder - MTG Card versions
Borderland Ranger - MTG Card versions
Civic Wayfinder - MTG Card versions
Wood Elves - MTG Card versions
Satyr Wayfinder - MTG Card versions
Borderland Ranger - MTG Card versions
Civic Wayfinder - MTG Card versions
Wood Elves - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nessian Wanderer MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death and Commander Masters, 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 Nessian Wanderer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nessian Wanderer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 1832015NormalBlackMatt Stewart
22023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 9052015NormalBlackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nessian Wanderer has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-01-24 A constellation ability triggers whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. Enchantments with other card types, such as enchantment creatures, will also cause constellation abilities to trigger.
2020-01-24 An Aura spell that has an illegal target when it tries to resolve doesn’t resolve and is instead put into its owner’s graveyard. It doesn’t enter the battlefield, so constellation abilities don’t trigger.

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