Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx MTG Card
2013-09-27 - Number 223
2022-12-13 - Number 24
2007-02-10 - Number 2022-3
2020-09-26 - Number THS-223
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Land |
Key Takeaways
- Nykthos excels in mono-colored decks, offering vast mana with each tap based on devotion.
- The card catalyzes powerful combos and can lead to game-changing turns in a match.
- Counterstrategies include land destruction or transformation to mitigate Nykthos’s impact.
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. , : Choose a color. Add to your mana pool an amount of mana of that color equal to your devotion to that color. (Your devotion to a color is the number of mana symbols of that color in the mana costs of permanents you control.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx offers significant card advantage in an indirect way. By enabling you to produce a large amount of mana based on your devotion to a color, it allows you to deploy multiple spells or larger threats much earlier than usual. This advantage can quickly turn the tide of a game as you outpace your opponent with more impactful plays.
Resource Acceleration: This powerful land excels at resource acceleration. By tapping it and paying two mana, your mana pool can swell with an amount of mana equal to your devotion to a chosen color. This not only jump-starts your position in the game significantly but also opens up the possibility to cast expensive spells earlier or activate costly abilities that might otherwise be inaccessible until the later stages of the match.
Instant Speed: While Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the resources it provides can be used in such a manner. The ability to generate a burst of mana during any part of your or your opponent’s turn allows for sudden and surprising plays, giving instant-speed spells and abilities in your deck a more potent edge in the heat of battle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx doesn’t have a discard requirement per se, it demands a devotion to a single color to be effective. This can sometimes feel like you are discarding your color flexibility, as you must commit to a particular color to reap the best benefits from Nykthos’s ability.
Specific Mana Cost: Nykthos requires an initial investment of two generic mana, but its true power is only unlocked when you have a substantial board presence of a single color. This can limit its immediate impact in multicolor decks or early in the game when you may not have many permanents in play.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Though the activate ability of Nykthos only costs two mana, establishing a board state that makes this worthwhile might require a more significant mana commitment in the early game. In situations where speed is of the essence, or against decks that disrupt your board presence, Nykthos could be a costly inclusion that doesn’t always pay off.
Reasons to Include Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx in Your Collection
Versatility: Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx offers an unrivaled ability to generate large quantities of mana based on your devotion to a single color. This land is an excellent addition to decks that aim to cast high-cost spells or activate demanding abilities, making it a flexible option for various archetypes.
Combo Potential: This card is famed for its synergy with cards that scale with available mana. It can be the cornerstone of powerful combos, enabling explosive turns where you cast multiple spells or put overwhelming forces into play in one fell swoop. Its potential to unlock game-winning sequences makes it a sought-after piece in combo decks.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where big plays and mana efficiency are paramount, Nykthos shines by allowing a consistent and substantial mana boost. It keeps pace with demanding metagames, offering the fuel for strategies that dominate through superior resource availability.
How to beat
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx stands out as a pivotal card in Magic: The Gathering, renowned for its ability to amplify mana based on devotion to a single color. It’s a cornerstone in many decks that seek to utilize high amounts of mana in a single turn. However, it does have its vulnerabilities. To disrupt the advantage Nykthos provides, targeting it directly is key. Cards like Ghost Quarter or Field of Ruin can destroy Nykthos, denying the ramp it provides. Artifact removal spells, such as Nature’s Claim or Abrade, are also effective since Nykthos can often be turned into a creature or artifact.
Disruption tactics can also prevent Nykthos from becoming a threat in the first place. Playing cards like Blood Moon can transform all non-basic lands into basic Mountains, neutralizing Nykthos without the need to destroy it. Similarly, Damping Sphere can limit the benefit of Nykthos by making each subsequent spell more expensive to cast. Efficiently managing your resources to maintain pressure while holding answers to Nykthos can often tip the scales in your favor.
Ultimately, while Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx may offer your opponents a significant mana advantage, strategic planning and inclusion of direct countermeasures in your deck can effectively mitigate the card’s impact on the game.
Cards like Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx takes its place as a crown jewel among mana-producing lands in MTG. Reminiscent of the storied power of Cabal Coffers, Nykthos offers a slightly different twist by tapping into a devotion to color rather than swamp count. This allows it to synergize with mono-colored decks, potentially generating vast mana in a single tap.
Gauntlet of Power is another mana amplifier, doubling mana of a particular color, but unlike Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, it affects both players and comes with a higher initial cost. Caged Sun offers a more controlled approach, increasing only your lands’ output, but again requires more investment than Nykthos initially. Lastly, there’s the utilitarian Growing Rites of Itlimoc which transforms into the powerful Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun, bearing some similarity by ramping up mana based on the number of creatures controlled, rather than devotion to a particular color.
Comparatively, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx holds a unique place, offering unmatched potential in the right deck; its ability to churn out large quantities of mana with just one card is unparalleled for those devoted to a single color.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx MTG card by a specific set like Pro Tour Promos and Theros, 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 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
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Printings
The Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2022-12-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pro Tour Promos | PPRO | 2022-3 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Alayna Danner | ||
| 2 | 2013-09-27 | Theros | THS | 223 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | THS-223 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jung Park | ||
| 4 | 2022-12-13 | Explorer Anthology 2 | EA2 | 24 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Jung Park |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-09-15 | Hybrid mana symbols, monocolored hybrid mana symbols, and Phyrexian mana symbols do count toward your devotion to their color(s). |
| 2013-09-15 | If an activated ability or triggered ability has an effect that depends on your devotion to a color, you count the number of mana symbols of that color among the mana costs of permanents you control as the ability resolves. The permanent with that ability will be counted if it's still on the battlefield at that time. |
| 2013-09-15 | Mana symbols in the text boxes of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color. |
| 2013-09-15 | Numeric mana symbols (, , and so on) in mana costs of permanents you control don't count toward your devotion to any color. |
| 2013-09-15 | The second ability is a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. |
