Wormfang Newt MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Nightmare Salamander Beast
Released	2002-05-27
Set symbol
Set name	Judgment
Set code	JUD
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	59
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Doug Chaffee

Key Takeaways

Wormfang Newt grants access to resources and strategic exchanges through careful card exile and retrieval.
The ability to operate at instant speed allows for dynamic play and can catch opponents off guard.
Despite its benefits, playing the Newt demands precise timing and deck synergy to avoid setbacks.

Text of card

When Wormfang Newt comes into play, remove a land you control from the game. When Wormfang Newt leaves play, return the removed card to play under its owner's control.

Spawned by mages emulating the insane.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wormfang Newt enables a valuable exchange by allowing you to temporarily exile one of your cards to bring in something potentially more powerful from another zone. This interaction can effectively give you access to more resources and contribute to gaining advantage during gameplay.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, the underlying advantage of Wormfang Newt lies in its ability to quickly change the board state. By swapping out different cards, you essentially accelerate your resource utility, setting up for more impactful plays sooner than expected.

Instant Speed: The activation of Wormfang Newt’s ability at instant speed offers strategic flexibility, allowing you to surprise your opponent by disrupting their plays or making advantageous exchanges on their turn. This disrupts their strategy and can shift the game in your favor at crucial moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Wormfang Newt provides a unique effect in a game, it comes with the need to discard a card. This can set you back in terms of card advantage, especially if you don’t have unused or less valuable cards in hand. Strategizing when to play it is key because you can’t afford to lose important cards, affecting the consistency of your deck’s performance.

Specific Mana Cost: Wormfang Newt’s mana cost is restricted to specific colors that may not fit seamlessly into all deck archetypes. Decks not running the required mana sources will find it challenging to incorporate this card without adjusting their mana base, which can impact the deck’s overall functionality and synergy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana cost attached to Wormfang Newt is considered high for its effect when compared to other cards in the MTG universe. Players must weigh the benefits of this card against others that might offer similar or better effects at a lower mana cost, making it crucial to consider the card’s role within the deck and if it justifies its spot over more efficient alternatives.

Reasons to Include Wormfang Newt in Your Collection

Versatility: Wormfang Newt is a card that seamlessly slips into various deck builds, offering both a creature presence and a utility effect upon leaving the battlefield. This duality allows players to adapt to different in-game situations.

Combo Potential: When paired with sacrifice outlets or flicker effects, Wormfang Newt can become part of a synergistic machine, unlocking value every time it’s bounced or sacrificed—perfect for setups aiming to manipulate the ebb and flow of graveyard and exile dynamics.

Meta-Relevance: With a metagame that continuously evolves, having a card like Wormfang Newt can position your deck to capitalize on frequent zone changes. Its ability to interact with exile provides an edge in matchups where such interactions can be game-changers.

How to beat

Wormfang Newt may seem like a humble creature in the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, but underestimate it at your peril. The creature brings unique mechanics to the battlefield that can disrupt the most prudent strategies. Its unusual ability allows it to exile another land you control when it enters the battlefield and return that land to the battlefield when Wormfang Newt leaves. This can be a useful way to reboot your lands’ abilities or create an unexpected advantage.

To effectively counter this slippery Newt, control decks are your best bet. Cards that allow you to counter creature spells will prevent Wormfang Newt from even entering the play. Alternatively, removal spells that can target creatures at instant speed ensure that the Newt’s exile-triggered ability becomes a disadvantage rather than a boon, as you can respond to the trigger by eliminating it before it brings the land back. Lastly, playing with graveyard disruption can stifle strategies that aim to recycle Wormfang Newt from the graveyard, diminishing its potential for repeated land exile and return.

Understanding the ins and outs of Wormfang Newt’s strengths and weaknesses is key. Good timing and a thoughtfully curated deck can transform this challenge into a victory for strategic MTG players.

Cards like Wormfang Newt

Wormfang Newt is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering that offers players an intriguing trade-off upon entering the battlefield. Like Wormfang Newt, other cards such as Man-o’-War or Exclusion Mage allow you to return a creature to its owner’s hand, acting as an effective temporary removal for opponents’ threats. However, Wormfang Newt’s distinguishable effect is that it requires you to exile one of your own lands until the Newt leaves the battlefield, which introduces a strategic balance between creature tempo and land management.

Comparatively, there is Aether Adept, which similarly bounces a creature upon being cast. Although Aether Adept doesn’t impact your lands, it lacks the highly synergistic Nightmare subtheme that Wormfang Newt supports. Another notable comparison is with the card Unsummon. This spell is even more straightforward, offering the ability to return a creature to its owner’s hand at instant speed. It’s less nuanced than Wormfang Newt, which demands a higher level of planning and understanding of the battlefield to leverage its full potential.

Overall, while each card offers a form of creature control, the additional land exile mechanic of Wormfang Newt provides a dimension of strategic depth that sets it apart in gameplay, inviting MTG players to explore more complex and rewarding lines of play.

Cards similar to Wormfang Newt by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wormfang Newt MTG card by a specific set like Judgment, 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 Wormfang Newt and other MTG cards: