Nirkana Cutthroat MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Vampire Warrior
Abilities	Deathtouch,First strike,Level Up
Released	2010-04-23
Set symbol
Set name	Rise of the Eldrazi
Set code	ROE
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	119
Frame	2003
Layout	Leveler
Border	Black
Illustred by	Erica Yang

Key Takeaways

Leveling up Nirkana Cutthroat can transition it into a formidable board presence, offering strategic card advantage.
Flexible level up options at instant speed ensure tactical mana usage and keep opponents guessing.
Locked into black mana and higher cost, it may be less versatile in multi-color or budget decks.

Text of card

Level up (: Put a level counter on this. Level up only as a sorcery.) LEVEL 1-2 4/3 Deathtouch LEVEL 3+ 5/4 First strike, deathtouch

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nirkana Cutthroat’s level up ability provides an exceptional scaling option for maintaining board presence. As the creature grows stronger with levels, it becomes a formidable threat demanding an answer, hence providing card advantage as your opponent is forced to deal with it or face the consequences.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly impacting your mana pool, Nirkana Cutthroat’s increasing power and toughness can lead to a more efficient use of your resources. By investing mana into its level up early on, you set the stage for future turns, potentially outpacing your opponent’s development and saving mana resources in the long run.

Instant Speed: This MTG card does not inherently have an instant speed ability; however, the level up mechanic can be utilized at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to hold back mana and decide the most opportune moment to invest in the creature’s growth, whether it be at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to an action, keeping them guessing about your next move.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For the Nirkana Cutthroat to fully impact the game, it often necessitates a significant allegiance to vampire tribal strategies or similar themes, which could be limiting in more diverse deck builds.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Nirkana Cutthroat is particular to black mana, which might not be easily accommodated in decks running multiple colors, thus affecting its versatility outside mono-black or limited dual-color configurations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a mana cost requiring three total mana, including two black, Nirkana Cutthroat is costlier than some alternatives. Players may find other creatures or spells that provide more immediate board presence or value at a similar or lower cost barrier.

Reasons to Include Nirkana Cutthroat in Your Collection

Versatility: Nirkana Cutthroat shines due to its ability to adapt to numerous battlefield conditions. With level up, this card has the potential to grow stronger as the game progresses, making it a sound choice for decks that aim for a power shift in the later stages of a match.

Combo Potential: This deathtouch wielder is an excellent enabler for strategies focused on creature control. In combination with cards that force opponents to block, Nirkana Cutthroat can be a key component in clearing the board and maintaining dominance.

Meta-Relevance: As player decks evolve to include creatures of all sizes, a card with deathtouch like Nirkana Cutthroat remains perpetually relevant. It can check large threats in a meta that favors huge creatures, maintaining its utility across various gameplay scenarios.

How to beat

Nirkana Cutthroat presents itself as a formidable adversary in MTG with its level up ability, transforming it into a substantial threat if left unchecked. To counter this escalation, prioritizing immediate removal spells is key. Consider employing swift actions like Shock or Fatal Push to eliminate it before your opponent has the opportunity to enhance its power and toughness. It’s also critical to disrupt your opponent’s mana base, as hindering their ability to pay for the level up costs can prevent the Cutthroat from reaching its full potential.

Another tactic entails enforcing constant board control. By establishing a strong line of creatures or capitalizing on cards that restrict the opponent’s creature development like Essence Scatter or Negate, you can set the stage for a more manageable game. If Nirkana Cutthroat does achieve higher levels, engineered board wipes such as Day of Judgment or Wrath of God might become necessary to reset the battlefield. Always assess the level threat Nirkana Cutthroat poses and act promptly, as allowing it to become too powerful can tip the game’s balance quickly.

Lastly, remember to play smart and maintain pressure on your opponent. If you can keep Nirkana Cutthroat from becoming the focus by presenting multiple threats, you’ll likely navigate towards victory with strategic creature placement and calculated spellcasting.

Cards like Nirkana Cutthroat

Nirkana Cutthroat is a notable player in the lineup of level-up creatures within MTG. Sharing a thematic lineage with Lighthouse Chronologist, Nirkana Cutthroat presents a different angle on the level-up mechanic. While Lighthouse Chronologist focuses on taking extra turns once levelled up, the Cutthroat toughens up and gains deathtouch, turning it into a formidable blocker and a dangerous attacker that can take down any creature regardless of size.

Another card that enters the fray is Transcendent Master. Reflecting on the level-up archetype, it starts as a modest creature but can evolve into a powerhouse with lifelink and indestructible. Where these cards diverge is in their ultimate roles; Nirkana Cutthroat skews towards control and elimination, while Transcendent Master can dominate as a life-gaining threat that’s hard to remove. In terms of mana investment and impact, Nirkana Cutthroat offers flexibility and a tactical edge in creature-heavy metas.

When considering the utility and potency of level-up cards in a MTG deck, Nirkana Cutthroat asserts its worth as a strategic piece that can shift the balance of power on the board, providing value at various stages of development.

Lighthouse Chronologist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nirkana Cutthroat MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi, 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 Nirkana Cutthroat and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nirkana Cutthroat has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2010-06-15	A creature’s level is based on how many level counters it has on it, not how many times its level up ability has been activated or has resolved. If a leveler gets level counters due to some other effect (such as Clockspinning) or loses level counters for some reason (such as Vampire Hexmage), its level is changed accordingly.
2010-06-15	Effects that modify a leveler’s power or toughness, such as the effects of Giant Growth or Glorious Anthem, will apply to it no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature’s power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness.
2010-06-15	Effects that set a leveler’s power or toughness to a specific value, including the effects from a level symbol’s ability, apply in timestamp order. The timestamp of each level symbol’s ability is the same as the timestamp of the leveler itself, regardless of when the most recent level counter was put on it.
2010-06-15	If another creature becomes a copy of a leveler, all of the leveler’s printed abilities — including those represented by level symbols — are copied. The current characteristics of the leveler, and the number of level counters on it, are not. The abilities, power, and toughness of the copy will be determined based on how many level counters are on the copy.
2010-06-15	The abilities a leveler grants to itself don’t overwrite any other abilities it may have. In particular, they don’t overwrite the creature’s level up ability; it always has that.