True-Name Nemesis MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Merfolk Rogue
Power 3
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. True-Name Nemesis excels in resilience, maintaining board presence by resisting common removal methods.
  2. While demanding specific mana, it pressures foes, making it a less flexible but potent blue creature.
  3. This card’s unique protection ability makes it a strategic asset in targeted-removal heavy metas.

Text of card

As True-Name Nemesis enters the battlefield, choose a player.True-Name Nemesis has protection from the chosen player. (This creature can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything controlled by that player.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: True-Name Nemesis has the inherent ability to become a persistent threat on the battlefield, dodging most removal spells. This card provides strategic depth and resilience, conserving your in-hand resources while demanding answers from your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana or accelerants, the True-Name Nemesis can pressure opponents into using their resources inefficiently. This indirect approach often leads to a snowballing advantage as you force the opponent to spend valuable spells and turns trying to manage a single untargetable creature.

Instant Speed: While this card itself does not operate at instant speed, its protection from a chosen player makes it synergize well with your other instant-speed interactions. It remains on the board through sweeps and spot removal, ensuring that your instant-speed plays can be more focused on advancing your strategy rather than preserving your board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: True-Name Nemesis does not have a discard requirement for casting, thus this con is not applicable to this card.

Specific Mana Cost: True-Name Nemesis requires both a specific color and colorless mana to cast (1 blue and 2 colorless), potentially making it less flexible for multi-colored decks not focused on blue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost of three, True-Name Nemesis can be considered costly given its stats of 3/1. Some players might seek more impactful creatures or effects for that cost in a competitive environment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: True-Name Nemesis offers a reliable way to apply pressure in games, fitting well in blue-based aggressive and control decks that benefit from an untargetable creature.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes with equipment and auras, allowing you to craft a creature that’s not only difficult for opponents to deal with but also significantly bolstered by additional effects.

Meta-Relevance: As many decks rely on targeted removal, True-Name Nemesis stands out by being immune to such strategies, making it a powerful choice in metas where spot removal is prevalent.


How to beat

Dealing with True-Name Nemesis on the battlefield can be tricky due to its protection from a chosen player, often turning it into a formidable shielded threat. To outmaneuver this card, consider using global effects that don’t target, as these bypass its protection. Board wipes like Supreme Verdict can remove True-Name Nemesis without having to target it directly. Alternatively, players can use effects that change the control of creatures, such as Mass Manipulation, to turn the tide by taking possession of the Nemesis themselves.

Adjusting strategies also helps, focusing on winning through alternative paths such as mill or direct damage that don’t involve combat with protected creatures. In essence, circumventing the problem rather than confronting it head-on can be a more viable solution. Lastly, race the Nemesis by strengthening your board presence and pressuring your opponent to a point where even the Protection ability of True-Name Nemesis isn’t enough to save them.

Understanding these tactics can shift the scales in your favor, proving that even the most daunting obstacles have weaknesses to be exploited. With the right approach, turning the tables on True-Name Nemesis is absolutely within any player’s grasp.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG goes beyond knowing your cards; it’s about strategic play and adaptation. True-Name Nemesis can be a vital asset, offering a unique dynamic to your game with its protective prowess. If you seek to fortify your deck and maintain a sturdy presence on the board, diving deeper into the mechanics and interplay of such unique cards is essential. Whether you’re up against targeted removal or need that steadfast attacker, understanding how to leverage this card’s abilities could be key. Ready for a strategic edge? Discover more insights and tips by joining our MTG community.


Cards like True-Name Nemesis

True-Name Nemesis has carved out a unique niche in MTG as an exceptionally resilient creature. Its ability to be untargetable by a chosen player places it in a class of its own. Phantasmal Image is often brought into the discussion due to its copying ability, essentially becoming any creature on the battlefield. However, it lacks the targeted protection True-Name Nemesis provides. Invisible Stalker is another card that shares some similarity, boasting hexproof and unblockable traits. Yet, it doesn’t offer the same player-specific invulnerability.

Merfolk Looter also enters the conversation when talking about utility creatures in blue. Although it features a different set of skills, primarily focused on card filtering rather than combat prowess or defensive capabilities, the Looter doesn’t offer the same kind of inevitable board presence. True-Name Nemesis stands apart in that once it’s on the battlefield, it can consistently apply pressure to a specific opponent without fearing targeted removal from that player.

The uniqueness of True-Name Nemesis in MTG becomes evident not just for its protection, but also for the strategic advantage it grants, making it a formidable presence against the named opponent throughout the game.

Phantasmal Image - MTG Card versions
Invisible Stalker - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Image - Magic 2012 (M12)
Invisible Stalker - Innistrad (ISD)
Merfolk Looter - Exodus (EXO)

Cards similar to True-Name Nemesis by color, type and mana cost

Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - MTG Card versions
Homarid - MTG Card versions
Wall of Air - MTG Card versions
Daring Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Cloud Elemental - MTG Card versions
Time Elemental - MTG Card versions
Reef Pirates - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Shaman - MTG Card versions
Wind Drake - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions
Clam Session - MTG Card versions
Stronghold Biologist - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Wall - MTG Card versions
Phantom Warrior - MTG Card versions
Wormfang Drake - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
Wall of Water - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Prodigal Sorcerer - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Apprentice Wizard - The Dark (DRK)
Homarid - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Wall of Air - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Daring Apprentice - Mirage (MIR)
Cloud Elemental - Visions (VIS)
Time Elemental - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Reef Pirates - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Rootwater Shaman - Tempest (TMP)
Wind Drake - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Volrath's Shapeshifter - Stronghold (STH)
Clam Session - Unglued (UGL)
Stronghold Biologist - Nemesis (NEM)
Quicksilver Wall - Prophecy (PCY)
Phantom Warrior - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Wormfang Drake - Judgment (JUD)
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - Commander Legends (CMR)
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase True-Name Nemesis MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Commander 2013, 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 True-Name Nemesis and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The True-Name Nemesis Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2013-11-01 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 692682003normalblackHoward Lyon
22013-11-01Commander 2013C13 632003normalblackZack Stella
32015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 352015normalblackZack Stella
42018-06-08BattlebondBBD 1362015normalblackZack Stella
52020-09-26The ListPLST C13-632003normalblackZack Stella
62021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 3211997normalblackZack Stella

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where True-Name Nemesis has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 Protection from a player means that True-Name Nemesis has protection from each object controlled by that player. If an object has no controller (such as a card in a graveyard), its owner is considered its controller for this purpose.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks