Nip Gwyllion MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Hag
Abilities	Lifelink
Released	2008-07-25
Set symbol
Set name	Eventide
Set code	EVE
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	92
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alex Horley-Orlandelli

Key Takeaways

Nip Gwyllion’s low mana cost effectively maximizes card efficiency, enhancing spell play quantity per turn.
Hybrid mana cost offers deck building versatility but requires careful color consideration or mana-fixing methods.
As a lifelink creature, Nip Gwyllion has synergy with life gain strategies, making it a valuable collectible.

Text of card

Lifelink (Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life.)

Once your life and all your worldly possessions have been surrendered to her, a gwyllion can be surprisingly civilized.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nip Gwyllion may not directly allow you to draw additional cards, but its low mana cost can lead to greater card efficiency. This means you can play multiple spells in a single turn, outpacing your opponent in terms of resources on the board.

Resource Acceleration: While Nip Gwyllion itself doesn’t generate mana or accelerate your resource pool, its minimal cost can help preserve your mana for other uses. This can indirectly accelerate your gameplay by enabling the casting of higher-cost spells earlier on.

Instant Speed: Despite Nip Gwyllion being a creature card and not an instant, its one-white mana cost makes it almost as flexible. You can summon Nip Gwyllion very quickly during your main phases, preserving mana for actual instant cards in your hand, thereby increasing your responsiveness to an opponent’s actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Nip Gwyllion doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, its efficacy might compel players to include cards within their deck that do have the drawback of forcing a discard, to fully exploit its lifelink ability. Balancing these components can be tricky and might lead to sub-optimal hand management.

Specific Mana Cost: Nip Gwyllion has a hybrid mana cost that requires either white or black mana, which can impose restrictions on deck-building. Players will need to construct their deck around these colors or have sufficient mana-fixing to consistently play it on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While it may seem like a low-cost creature at first glance, for a mere 1/1, Nip Gwyllion’s effectiveness can be overshadowed by other one-drop creatures or spells that offer more utility or a stronger board presence early in the game.

Reasons to Include Nip Gwyllion in Your Collection

Versatility: Nip Gwyllion is a great addition to any deck that capitalizes on the hybrid mana cost. This allows it to seamlessly fit into both white and black decks, broadening its utility across various deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: As a creature with lifelink, Nip Gwyllion works well with cards that synergize with life gain or require a cheap lifelink creature to enable combos or bolster your defense.

Meta-Relevance: In an ever-shifting MTG landscape, the relevance of a one-drop like Nip Gwyllion can vary. However, its place in decks that aim to stabilize quickly or in aggressive lifelink strategies ensures its continued relevance in specific meta environments.

How to beat

Nip Gwyllion is a deceptively simple creature card that may seem unassuming at first glance in the world of Magic: The Gathering. This petite card, costing a single hybrid white or black mana, boasts lifelink, giving it an edge in early game life races. Despite its low power, Nip Gwyllion can be an essential component in decks focused on life gain strategies or as a blocker for other low-cost creatures.

To effectively counter Nip Gwyllion, players should consider creature removal spells that are inexpensive and can dispatch it without significant resource investment. Spell options like Shock or Dead Weight are excellent choices to clear Nip Gwyllion off the board, as their low cost matches the investment made by the opponent. Furthermore, utilizing creatures with toughness greater than one can nullify Nip Gwyllion’s impact, often making it a non-threatening presence during combat. Lastly, cards that prevent lifelink or target the opponent’s life total directly can diminish the relevancy of Nip Gwyllion’s lifegain ability, ensuring its effect on the game’s outcome is minimal.

In essence, while Nip Gwyllion can fit snugly into certain decks, understanding its strengths and vulnerabilities enable well-prepared players to handle it effortlessly and maintain control of the game.

Cards like Nip Gwyllion

Nip Gwyllion is a unique entry in the realm of one-drop creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It bears comparison to other one-mana creatures like Vampire Lacerator, which also presents an aggressive profile. Where Nip Gwyllion excels is in its hybrid mana cost, allowing it to be more easily slotted into multi-color decks. Vampire Lacerator, while having a potentially stronger effect for aggressive strategies, commits a player to black mana and has a downside during noncombat phases.

Another card that shares some functional similarities is Deadeye Tracker. Both are one-drops with potential beyond the early game turns, although Deadeye Tracker requires additional mana investment to utilize its ability. Nip Gwyllion, by contrast, immediately brings its lifelink ability to the battlefield. The subtle yet persistent advantage of gaining life with each attack can have a cumulative impact on the game’s outcome.

Looking at these comparisons helps us appreciate Nip Gwyllion as a solid choice for decks that value early board presence and the incremental life gains that support longer game strategies. While it might not be the flashiest one-drop creature, its hybrid mana flexibility and inherent lifelink set it apart, marking its territory in Magic: The Gathering’s extensive library of cards.

Cards similar to Nip Gwyllion by color, type and mana cost

Frodo, Sauron's Bane - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nip Gwyllion MTG card by a specific set like Eventide, 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 Nip Gwyllion and other MTG cards: