Vela the Night-Clad MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Wizard
Abilities Intimidate
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Vela grants Intimidate, making creatures hard to block and indirectly creating card advantage.
  2. Her ability deals damage to opponents, complementing flicker and sacrifice effects for swift victories.
  3. However, Vela’s high mana cost and specific color requirements limit her deck compatibility.

Text of card

Intimidate Other creatures you control have intimidate. Whenever Vela the Night-Clad or another creature you control leaves the battlefield, each opponent loses 1 life.

Vela snuffs out every trace of Krond's reign, leaving pure nightfall in her wake.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vela the Night-Clad offers a unique advantage with her ability to grant Intimidate to your other creatures. This often leads to your attacking creatures being unblockable, indirectly contributing to card advantage by maintaining board presence against decks without the necessary colors to block.

Resource Acceleration: While Vela herself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, her presence can accelerate your victory. Each time another creature leaves the battlefield, she deals 1 damage to each opponent, which can swiftly tip the scales in your favor in multiplayer formats or enable powerful strategies with flicker and sacrifice effects.

Instant Speed: Although Vela is not an instant, her ability creates a situation where opponents must think twice before casting at instant speed. Any instant-speed removal or bounce spells used on your creatures could trigger Vela’s damage ability, deterring adversaries from acting rashly during your turns.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One aspect to be wary of is the inherent cost associated with Vela the Night-Clad’s intimidate ability. To fully utilize Vela’s potential, players might have to discard other valuable cards, which could deplete hand resources and leave them at a disadvantage during crucial moments of the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Vela the Night-Clad comes with a specific mana requirement that makes it a better fit for blue-black decks. Players looking to integrate Vela into their strategy must have a deck tailored towards these colors, which may not be ideal for those who prefer a more diverse or flexible mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Worth noting is the high mana cost for summoning Vela the Night-Clad. With a total cost of six mana, including one blue and one black, players must commit significant resources to bring Vela into play. During early rounds or in fast-paced games, this could slow down a player’s overall strategy when compared to other creatures or spells with a lower cost yet similar impactful effects.


Reasons to Include Vela the Night-Clad in Your Collection

Versatility: Vela the Night-Clad is a dynamic card that can adapt to various deck styles. Whether you’re leading a ninja-themed deck for flavor or employing her in a blue-black control setting, her ability to give your creatures intimidate ensures they can often attack unblocked.

Combo Potential: Her second ability, which causes opponents to lose life whenever a creature leaves the battlefield, has synergy with flicker or sacrifice strategies. This can lead to devastating combos, especially in a commander game where board states can become complex and ripe for exploitation.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with creature-heavy decks, Vela the Night-Clad offers a unique edge. As players often rely on creature interactions for their win conditions, introducing her to your deck can disrupt their plans and turn the tide of the game in your favor.


How to beat

Vela the Night-Clad is an imposing force, known for her ability to grant your creatures Intimidate, making them more difficult for opponents to block. Additionally, she deals damage to opponents whenever your creatures leave the battlefield. Facing her in a game requires strategy and a good defense. The key is to disrupt her synergy with creatures and utilize removal spells that can target her directly despite her Intimidate ability. Board wipes that clear all creatures, regardless of their abilities, can neutralize the advantage that Vela provides. Additionally, spells that exile can take Vela out of play, avoiding her leaving-the-battlefield trigger. Artifact removal can also be crucial, as equipment and other enhancements often complement Vela’s strategy.

Moreover, playing around her ability to deal damage with each creature’s departure can be managed by limiting the number of creatures you play or by using instant speed removals during your opponent’s turn, lessening the impact. Remember, as with any formidable card, always keep an eye on your life total and control the board state to thwart the Night-Clad’s underhanded tactics.


BurnMana Recommendations

The mastery of MTG not only lies in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each card but also in curating a collection that escalates your deck’s potential. Vela the Night-Clad’s dual threat—evasion for your creatures and life loss for your opponents—can be a game-changer. Suitable for control or combo-focused decks, Vela leverages her abilities in enhancing creature-based strategies and punishing adversaries. Embracing her quirks, like the specific mana cost and high casting price, can yield a unique advantage. Enhance your gameplay and outmaneuver your opponents by incorporating Vela into your deck. Discover more insightful tips and strategies by joining us where we unravel the depths of MTG deckbuilding wisdom.


Cards like Vela the Night-Clad

Vela the Night-Clad is a unique character in Magic: The Gathering, providing a blend of evasion and board impact. Cards that share similarities with Vela include Thassa, God of the Sea, which also grants creatures unblockable. However, Thassa selectively applies this to one creature each turn, unlike Vela’s blanket effect that covers all creatures you control.

Another card in the same conversation is Wonder, which provides flying to all creatures you control if it’s in your graveyard and you control an Island. Similar to Vela, Wonder’s ability is conditionally constant, but it demands a specific land type and graveyard placement to function. Then there’s Filth, which bestows swampwalk if it resides in your graveyard with a Swamp in play, mirroring Vela’s universal approach but within the confines of landwalk abilities and graveyard interaction.

Ultimately, Vela the Night-Clad stands out among MTG cards due to her compelling mix of granting evasion to your creatures and penalizing opponents whenever your creatures leave the battlefield, adding a strategic layer to gameplay that her counterparts lack.

Thassa, God of the Sea - MTG Card versions
Wonder - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Thassa, God of the Sea - Theros (THS)
Wonder - Judgment (JUD)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)

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Oona, Queen of the Fae - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Jhessian Zombies - Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol Bolas (DDH)
Wrexial, the Risen Deep - New Capenna Commander (NCC)
Dinrova Horror - Jumpstart (JMP)
Silumgar, the Drifting Death - Commander 2017 (C17)
Ruthless Deathfang - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)
Dragonlord Silumgar - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Sire of Stagnation - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Psychic Symbiont - Double Masters 2022 (2X2)
Lochmere Serpent - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Callidus Assassin - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Memory Vampire - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vela the Night-Clad MTG card by a specific set like Planechase 2012 and Commander's Arsenal, 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 Vela the Night-Clad and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Vela the Night-Clad Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2012-06-01 and 2017-08-25. Illustrated by Allen Williams.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-06-01Planechase 2012PC2 1072003normalblackAllen Williams
22012-11-02Commander's ArsenalCM1 182003normalblackAllen Williams
32015-11-18Legendary Cube Prize PackPZ1 1182015normalblackAllen Williams
42016-11-25Planechase AnthologyPCA 1072015normalblackAllen Williams
52017-08-25Commander 2017C17 2012015normalblackAllen Williams
62020-09-26The ListPLST PC2-1072003normalblackAllen Williams

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vela the Night-Clad has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2012-06-01 If Vela leaves the battlefield at the same time as other creatures you control, its ability will trigger for each of those creatures.

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