Nettling Curse MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Enchantment — Aura
Abilities	Enchant
Released	2006-05-05
Set symbol
Set name	Dissension
Set code	DIS
Number	48
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeremy Jarvis & Wayne Reynolds

Key Takeaways

Nettling Curse grants psychological control and can force opponents into unfavorable resource distribution.
Its instant speed allows for reactive play, throwing off the opponent’s strategy mid-combat.
Consider its discard cost and black mana requirement when integrating into your deck build.

Text of card

Enchant creature Whenever enchanted creature attacks or blocks, its controller loses 3 life. : Enchanted creature attacks this turn if able.

"I call them 'Poke' and 'Prod.'" —Chagrach, Rakdos cursemage

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crafting a deeper game strategy is simplified with Nettling Curse as it can prompt your opponent to second-guess their plays, giving you a potential psychological edge and the opportunity to capitalize on their hesitations.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly affecting your mana pool, the card can force resource allocation by the opponent. They may need to invest more in protecting or curing the enchanted creature, indirectly speeding up your own game plan.

Instant Speed: Nettling Curse can be cast at instant speed, offering you the versatility to respond to opponents’ actions during their turn with subtlety and surprise, potentially disrupting their strategies at a crucial moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nettling Curse mandates discarding a card as part of its activation cost. For players with a dwindling hand, this can present a serious drawback, as it may force them to relinquish vital components of their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s activation hinges on black mana, which naturally restricts its inclusion in decks. Decks not running black or those with a rigid mana base might find it challenging to meet the specific mana requirements consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To both cast and activate Nettling Curse, a total investment of at least five mana is demanded—three to cast and at least two for its first activation. This investment can be burdensome, especially when other cards may provide similar or enhanced effects without such a steep mana curve.

Reasons to Include Nettling Curse in Your Collection

Versatility: Nettling Curse offers a broad application for any collection, as it can easily integrate into decks that focus on enchantment synergies or aim to control opponents’ creatures.

Combo Potential: This card can be part of a strategy revolving around tapping and untapping creatures, which potentially pairs well with other cards that capitalize on these state changes for gainful effects.

Meta-Relevance: In a game landscape where creatures are vital for victory, Nettling Curse holds significance by manipulating those creatures to your advantage, making it a practical choice against decks that rely heavily on their battlefield presence.

How to beat

Nettling Curse presents itself as a tricky enchantment to contend with on the MTG battlefield. Its unique effect of pacifying a targeted creature, while also providing a means to whittle down an opponent’s life total, demands attention. However, much like any card, there are strategies to outmaneuver its curse. First and foremost, removal spells are the most direct route, such as Naturalize or Disenchant, targeting and eliminating the artifact that embodies the curse. Additionally, creatures with shroud or hexproof can prove invalauble, as they are impervious to being targeted by the curse in the first place.

Understanding the metagame can also tip the scales in your favor. Opting for decks that can sidestep such peripheral threats, or ones that can quickly rebuild after a loss of a creature, can diminish Nettling Curse’s impact. In the realm of countermagic, having a well-timed Negate or Counterspell at the ready ensures the enchantment never takes root. Ultimately, resilience and adaptability are the keys to outplaying a strategy hinging on the effectiveness of Nettling Curse.

Cards like Nettling Curse

Nettling Curse, a unique enchantment in MTG, draws comparisons to a constellation of control cards. Like the classic Control Magic, Nettling Curse grants influence over a creature, with the twist of granting it only on attack and dealing damage to it. It’s a combo that affords both offensiveness and a subtle form of removal, positioned between Control Magic’s outright control and cards like Stab Wound that slowly sap a creature’s vitality.

Another card that echoes the spirit of Nettling Curse is Cloak of Mists. While Cloak of Mists doesn’t deal damage or control creatures, the way it affects combat by granting an ability is similar. Nettling Curse steers a creature’s fate, albeit more aggressively and with a clear, disruptive purpose. Much like how Mark of the Vampire grants a life-gaining ability to a creature, Nettling Curse applies a controlling and damaging dynamic, sharing its purposeful design with these utility-focused enchantments.

Evaluating these, Nettling Curse surfaces as a card with an interesting niche. It offers a combination of creature control with potential removal, making it a compelling option for players who revel in leveraging their opponent’s forces against them while chipping away at their defences.

Cards similar to Nettling Curse by color, type and mana cost

Hidetsugu Consumes All // Vessel of the All-Consuming - MTG Card versions

The Bloodsky Massacre - MTG Card versions

Incriminating Impetus - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nettling Curse MTG card by a specific set like Dissension, 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 Nettling Curse and other MTG cards: