Nahiri's Stoneblades MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2019-05-03
Set symbol
Set name	War of the Spark
Set code	WAR
Number	139
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Micah Epstein

Key Takeaways

Nahiri’s Stoneblades offers instant flexibility and the potential to swing combats in your favor.
Despite requiring specific mana and a discard, it’s a versatile card for combat scenarios.
Counterplay involves instant removal, strategy, and board control to negate its benefits.

Text of card

Up to two target creatures each get +2/+0 until end of turn.

The ancient Planeswalkers Sorin and Nahiri battled across Ravnica, their blows cutting as deep as their grudge.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nahiri’s Stoneblades doesn’t directly affect your hand size, but by pumping up two creatures substantially, it can enable them to trade favorably or win combat, indirectly impacting the board state in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Nahiri’s Stoneblades doesn’t provide traditional acceleration like adding mana, it efficiently uses the mana you have, allowing for a potentially game-changing play with a low mana investment.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Nahiri’s Stoneblades gives you the flexibility to surprise an opponent during combat, either on offense for a sudden boost in power or defensively to turn the tables during your opponent’s attack.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nahiri’s Stoneblades necessitates a card to be discarded in order to harness its full potential, which can lead to a disadvantageous exchange when in need of maintaining hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: The card’s casting cost demands both red and white mana, which restricts its flexibility and may not seamlessly fit into decks without these specific color requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the benefits provided by Nahiri’s Stoneblades, the investment of three mana may be deemed steep, particularly when measured against other options that might yield a greater impact or versatility for a similar, or lower, mana expenditure.

Reasons to Include Nahiri’s Stoneblades in Your Collection

Versatility: Nahiri’s Stoneblades is a card that can seamlessly fit into various decks. It’s particularly useful for those requiring an instant speed boost in power and toughness to outmaneuver opponents during combat.

Combo Potential: This card offers great synergy with strategies that revolve around creatures attacking, like Prowess or Heroic. It can also help achieve surprise wins with the additional damage it provides.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where combat interactions are key, Nahiri’s Stoneblades gives players an affordable and efficient way to tip the scales in their favor, making it a noteworthy inclusion in any aggressive deck.

How to beat

Nahiri’s Stoneblades is a useful combat trick many players include in their MTG decks for its ability to provide a quick power and toughness boost. Its instant speed allows for surprising plays that can turn the tide of combat in your favor. To counter this card effectively, it helps to have instant removal or bounce spells at the ready. Cards like Fatal Push, Swords to Plowshares, or Unsummon can be used in response to Nahiri’s Stoneblades to remove or return the buffed creature to its owner’s hand before the spell resolves. This not only disrupts your opponent’s plans but also leaves them at a disadvantage with two fewer cards, including Nahiri’s Stoneblades, underwhelming your adversary.

Another reliable approach is to maintain board control with creatures that have deathtouch or enough toughness to withstand the surprise attack, ensuring that any attempt to strengthen an opponent’s creature will be less impactful or even futile. Properly assessing the board and keeping mana open for responses can mitigate the advantage Nahiri’s Stoneblades could provide to your opponent.

Lastly, playing around the card is important. If you suspect your opponent has Nahiri’s Stoneblades, it might be wise to hold back on attacking or blocking until you’ve got the resources to deal with the potential threat. Strategy and awareness in the gameplay can go a long way in overcoming the challenges posed by combat tricks like Nahiri’s Stoneblades.

Cards like Nahiri's Stoneblades

Nahiri’s Stoneblades is an intriguing combat trick for Magic: The Gathering players, offering a quick boost in power and toughness for two creatures. A card like Brute Force is a natural comparison, as it provides a single creature with a +3/+3 until end of turn, though only affecting one compared to Stoneblades’ two. Additionally, Brute Force is at instant speed as well, keeping the flexibility in combat scenarios.

Another similar spell is Sure Strike, granting one creature a significant +3/+0 and first strike until end of turn. This can turn the tides in combat by not only increasing the damage potential but also allowing for advantageous first strike. Unlike Nahiri’s Stoneblades, Sure Strike focuses on the offensive boost and the tactical advantage of first strike rather than a boost in toughness.

In evaluating Nahiri’s Stoneblades within its category, its ability to affect two creatures makes it a versatile choice in decks that aim to swarm the battlefield with creatures. Although it might not offer the raw power of Brute Force or the combat maneuvering of Sure Strike, its dual-target nature can be critical in overwhelming your opponent or in making profitable blocks. Hence, Nahiri’s Stoneblades holds its own when it comes to combat tricks in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Nahiri's Stoneblades by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nahiri's Stoneblades MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark, 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 Nahiri's Stoneblades and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nahiri's Stoneblades 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
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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