Naban, Dean of Iteration MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Naban doubles wizard effects, providing card advantage and resource acceleration for strategic plays.
  2. Requires other wizards in hand and specific mana, which could limit its impact without proper support.
  3. Its synergy with wizards makes it an adaptable inclusion in diverse MTG deck strategies.

Text of card

If a Wizard entering the battlefield under your control causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.

"Perfect. Now do it again."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Naban, Dean of Iteration effectively doubles the abilities of your entering wizards, leading to potential card draw or other value-generating effects. It’s like getting a two-for-one special each time you play a wizard spell, setting you well ahead in resource count.

Resource Acceleration: By amplifying wizards’ enter-the-battlefield effects, Naban can result in the creation of additional mana tokens, land untapping, or cost reductions. This can lead to faster and more impactful plays, putting your opponents under pressure as you develop a formidable position on the board.

Instant Speed: With Naban, Dean of Iteration in play, instant speed wizards or those with flash become even more threatening. You can respond to your opponent’s actions while gaining extra value from your spells, staying reactive and versatile during the heat of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Naban, Dean of Iteration doesn’t come with a discard requirement, but its utility is heavily dependent on having other wizards in hand to make the most of its ability. If your hand is depleted, Naban becomes far less impactful on the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Naban’s casting cost requires both blue mana, demanding a dedicated slot in a blue or blue-centric multicolor deck. This can restrict deck-building options, especially in formats with a diverse mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana might seem reasonable, however, in a fast-paced game, spending your second turn to cast Naban can be less impactful compared to other two-mana plays that could immediately influence the board. This card’s value is realized over time, making it potentially less effective in speedy formats.


Reasons to Include Naban Dean of Iteration in Your Collection

Versatility: Naban Dean of Iteration has a unique ability to magnify wizard-centric strategies within a variety of blue or wizard-based decks, such as Tempo, Combo, or Control builds. His ability affects other wizards you control, underlining his potential as a deck-building fulcrum.

Combo Potential: This card can exponentially enhance the effectiveness of enter-the-battlefield abilities from other wizards. When paired with cards that have powerful effects upon entering the battlefield, such as Snapcaster Mage or Dualcaster Mage, the potential for impactful plays and combos increases significantly.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to interact with and escalate numerous wizard effects, Naban Dean of Iteration remains a compelling choice in metas where creature-based strategies are prevalent. By doubling up on critical ETB abilities, this card can help you to stay ahead or turn the tide in crucial moments of the game.


How to beat Naban, Dean of Iteration

Naban, Dean of Iteration is a unique creature in Magic: The Gathering that can turn the tide of a game by doubling the effects of Wizards entering the battlefield. Taking down this card requires a good understanding of timing and the right removal tactics. Cards that can remove Naban before the opponent can utilize his ability are key; instant-speed removal like Fatal Push or Lightning Bolt can effectively disrupt the Naban-centric strategy before it unfolds.

Another approach is to use counter spells to prevent Naban from hitting the board in the first place. Efficient counters like Negate or Essence Scatter are perfect for this task, as they specifically target the kinds of spells that bring creatures like Naban into play. Lastly, it’s also wise to limit the number of Wizards on your opponent’s battlefield, as Naban’s value increases with each one. Board wipes such as Wrath of God can clear the battlefield and render Naban’s ability moot if he survives.

These strategies can help ensure Naban, Dean of Iteration doesn’t get the chance to amplify an opponent’s game plan and lock in your own path to victory in your next Magic: The Gathering session.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic play of MTG with Naban, Dean of Iteration at the helm of your wizardry entourage. Enhance your deck’s capability to exploit enter-the-battlefield triggers and maintain card advantage, all while staying ahead in the mana curve. Whether you’re new to wizard strategies or looking to refine an existing build, understanding the pros, cons, and unique interactions of Naban is key to your success. Come join our community where we unpack the intricacies of utilizing cards like Naban to their fullest. Learn, strategize, and conquer—your next MTG challenge awaits.


Cards like Naban, Dean of Iteration

Within the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Naban, Dean of Iteration stands out as a unique card designed to amplify wizard strategies. Its closest counterparts, such as Panharmonicon and Mirror Gallery, share the ability to enhance your plays through creature abilities. Panharmonicon essentially doubles up triggers from artifacts or creatures entering the battlefield, much like how Naban affects wizard-related ones, yet it does so for a broader range of permanents. Mirror Gallery, while not directly influencing triggers, allows for a multiple legendary rule, thereby indirectly enabling a player to capitalize on legendary creature abilities, including those of wizards.

Another card worth mentioning is Inalla, Archmage Ritualist. Like Naban, she favors a wizard-centric deck, offering an undeniably potent one-time token copy of a wizard, which adds versatility and power to wizard-based strategies on the battlefield. However, Inalla’s five-mana cost places her in a higher tier of investment compared to the more accessible two-mana cost of Naban.

In essence, Naban, Dean of Iteration might not possess the expansive reach of Panharmonicon or the rule-bending nature of Mirror Gallery, but his low-cost and synergy within wizard decks render him an incredibly efficient choice for players aiming to craft a more focused strategy in their MTG battles.

Panharmonicon - MTG Card versions
Mirror Gallery - MTG Card versions
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - MTG Card versions
Panharmonicon - MTG Card versions
Mirror Gallery - MTG Card versions
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Naban, Dean of Iteration MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Dominaria Promos, 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 Naban, Dean of Iteration and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Naban, Dean of Iteration Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2018-04-27. Illustrated by Ryan Alexander Lee.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-04-27DominariaDOM 582015NormalBlackRyan Alexander Lee
22018-04-27Dominaria PromosPDOM 58s2015NormalBlackRyan Alexander Lee

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Naban, Dean of Iteration has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-04-27 Abilities that apply “as
-his creature] enters the battlefield,” such as choosing a card name with Meddling Mage, are unaffected.
2018-04-27 If a Wizard entering the battlefield at the same time as Naban (including Naban itself) causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
2018-04-27 If a triggered ability is linked to a second ability, additional instances of that triggered ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to “the exiled card,” it refers to all cards exiled by instances of the triggered ability.
2018-04-27 If you somehow control two Nabans, a Wizard entering the battlefield causes abilities to trigger three times, not four. A third Naban causes abilities to trigger four times, a fourth causes abilities to trigger five times, and so on.
2018-04-27 In some cases involving linked abilities, an ability requires information about “the exiled card.” When this happens, the ability gets multiple answers. If these answers are being used to determine the value of a variable, the sum is used. For example, if Elite Arcanist’s enters-the-battlefield ability triggers twice, two cards are exiled. The value of X in the activation cost of Elite Arcanist’s other ability is the sum of the two cards’ converted mana costs. As the ability resolves, you create copies of both cards and can cast none, one, or both of the copies in any order.
2018-04-27 Look at each permanent as it exists on the battlefield, taking into account continuous effects, to determine whether any triggered abilities will trigger multiple times. For example, if you control Arcane Adaptation with Wizard as the chosen creature type, a Runeclaw Bear entering the battlefield will cause any abilities it triggers to trigger an additional time.
2018-04-27 Naban affects a Wizard’s own enters-the-battlefield triggered abilities as well as other triggered abilities that trigger when that Wizard enters the battlefield. Such triggered abilities start with “when” or “whenever.”
2018-04-27 Naban’s effect doesn’t copy the triggered ability; it just causes the ability to trigger twice. Any choices made as you put the ability onto the stack, such as modes and targets, are made separately for each instance of the ability. Any choices made on resolution, such as whether to put counters on a permanent, are also made individually.
2018-04-27 Replacement effects are unaffected by Naban’s first ability. For example, a Wizard that enters the battlefield with one +1/+1 counter on it won’t receive an additional +1/+1 counter.
2018-04-27 The trigger event doesn’t have to specifically refer to “Wizards.” For example, an ability that triggers “whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control” would trigger twice if the entering creature is a Wizard.

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