Watchful Naga MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 193
2020-08-13 - Number 225
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Naga Wizard |
| Abilities | Exert |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
You may exert Watchful Naga as it attacks. When you do, draw a card. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)
The forked tongue of the naga is sensitive to drifting scent trails from the past, present, and sometimes even the future.
Cards like Watchful Naga
Watchful Naga offers players in Magic: The Gathering a unique card draw mechanic through its ability to exert for knowledge. This puts it in line with creatures like Ohran Viper, which also provides the potential of card draw but does so by dealing combat damage to a player. Watchful Naga, however, ensures card advantage without the need to inflict damage, but it can only be used once every other turn due to the exert mechanic.
Another similar card is Elvish Visionary which, when it enters the battlefield, allows its controller to draw a card. While the Visionary guarantees an immediate card draw regardless of the game state, Watchful Naga requires a proactive approach and offers repeatable potential, albeit at a slower rate. Then we have Bygone Bishop, which rewards playing small creatures with Investigate tokens, these can later be turned into cards.
Each of these creatures presents different advantages depending on the deck strategy and game situation. Watchful Naga’s exert option is excellent for green decks that seek to maximize turns and creature abilities. Its ability to potentially draw multiple cards over the game gives it a unique place among green card draw options in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Watchful Naga by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Watchful Naga can be a key asset in securing card advantage through its ‘you may exert Watchful Naga as it attacks’ ability, providing you with an additional draw when you need it most. This can help to maintain a steady flow of options in your hand and puts pressure on your opponent to deal with the threat.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana resources, the extra cards drawn by exerting Watchful Naga may lead to drawing into lands or ramp spells, indirectly contributing to resource acceleration and paving the way for casting high-cost spells sooner.
Instant Speed: Although Watchful Naga operates at sorcery speed, unlocking card draw as it attacks means you can plan your strategy with more information at your disposal, allowing you to save instant speed spells in your hand until they’re most impactful. Effective use of this creature can set you up for stronger plays at critical moments.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Watchful Naga requires you to exert it as part of its ability to draw a card. This means that the creature won’t untap during your next untap step, essentially causing you to discard the opportunity to use the creature on the following turn. This can be particularly disadvantageous if you are relying on this creature for defense or consistent board presence.
Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes one green mana, Watchful Naga may not fit seamlessly into multi-colored decks. Players specializing in decks that do not heavily feature green mana may find it difficult to justify the inclusion of this card, limiting its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At three mana, Watchful Naga’s ability to draw cards is conditional upon exertion, which can be inefficient compared to other green creatures or card draw options in MTG. Other cards at a similar mana cost may provide immediate effects or have stronger stats, making Watchful Naga a less attractive option for the three mana slot in a deck.
Reasons to Include Watchful Naga in Your Collection
Versatility: Watchful Naga offers flexibility to green deck builders. Its ability to provide card draw through exert as a 2/2 creature makes it a useful inclusion in decks that need to keep their hand replenished while developing their board presence.
Combo Potential: Utilizing the exert mechanic, Watchful Naga can become an integral part of combos that capitalize on creature tapping and untapping, as well as providing additional card draw to fuel complex sequences.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where players often seek to maximize their resources, the Watchful Naga holds its ground by offering continuous access to more cards, which can be pivotal in matches that hinge on card advantage and strategic depth.
How to Beat Watchful Naga
Watchful Naga presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to draw a card—under the right circumstances. Much like similar MTG cards designed to offer card advantage, Watchful Naga requires a strategic approach to mitigate its benefits to your opponent. The key interaction to watch for with this creature is the exert mechanic, which allows the player to draw a card at the cost of not untapping the Naga during their next untap step.
To effectively counter Watchful Naga, consider removing it from play before it can become an active threat. Spells that can destroy or exile creatures at a low cost, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, are excellent ways to deal with the Naga before it has the chance to exert and draw. Alternatively, utilizing instant-speed removal in response to the exert trigger can be just as effective, making sure that your opponent doesn’t gain the upper hand with additional card draw. Lastly, employing counterspells can prevent the Naga from entering the battlefield altogether, keeping card advantage in your favor.
Overall, while Watchful Naga can pose a threat by generating additional card advantage for your opponent, a well-timed removal or counterspell can easily keep this creature in check, preserving the balance of play.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Watchful Naga MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Watchful Naga and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Watchful Naga Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Anastasia Ovchinnikova.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 193 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 225 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Anastasia Ovchinnikova |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Watchful Naga has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Watchful Naga card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can’t do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can’t be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared. |
| 2017-04-18 | If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature. |