Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Bolas
Loyalty 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card control through multiple abilities, giving players resource and battlefield advantages.
  2. Requires specific mana colors and a high casting cost, challenging players to manage resources carefully.
  3. Remains a versatile and meta-relevant choice for control decks in competitive play.

Text of card

+3: Destroy target noncreature permanent. -2: Gain control of target creature. -9: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker deals 7 damage to target player. That player discards seven cards, then sacrifices seven permanents.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nicol Bolas, the Planeswalker, offers a substantial card advantage through its ability to draw cards, forcing opponents to discard, and even taking control of their creatures. This can easily tilt the game’s balance in your favor by diminishing your opponent’s resources while bolstering your own.

Resource Acceleration: With its considerable power to destroy target noncreature permanents, Nicol Bolas promotes resource acceleration by directly affecting the game’s pace and giving you the upper hand. This can set back opponents significantly, preventing them from establishing a strong board presence.

Instant Speed: Although Nicol Bolas, the Planeswalker, doesn’t function at instant speed, its dominance in controlling the battlefield and impacting opponent strategies compensates for the pacing. The card’s range of abilities ensures that once it’s your turn, you make pivotal moves that can quickly shift the game’s flow.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nicol Bolas, as a formidable Planeswalker card, often necessitates individual sacrifices or hefty requirements to unlock its full potential, including discard mechanics that may strain your hand when trying to maintain board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost is steeped in multiple color commitments—blue, black, and red mana—making it a card more suited for multicolored decks with a reliable mana base which can be challenging to set up, especially in fast-paced games.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment to summon Nicol Bolas onto the battlefield is significant when compared to other Planeswalkers or game-changing cards. With a demanding and diverse mana cost, it can sometimes lag behind in terms of efficiency, especially in metagames where speed is of the essence.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker card offers a diverse array of abilities that can be pivotal in control and midrange decks. With its ability to destroy threats, gain control of opponents’ creatures, and massive card advantage, it adapts well to a variety of in-game situations.

Combo Potential: This Planeswalker card offers strong synergy with discard strategies and graveyard manipulation, allowing savvy players to build powerful combinations that can take over the game. Its ultimate ability can also set the stage for game-ending turns.

Meta-Relevance: Given its broad control tools and resilience against a range of threats, Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker remains a relevant choice in various meta environments. Its presence on the battlefield commands attention and can dictate the pace of the game, making it a force in competitive formats.


How to beat

The Nicol Bolas Planeswalker card is a formidable opponent in Magic: The Gathering, boasting a versatile array of abilities that can dominate the game. To get the upper hand against this powerful planeswalker, understanding its strengths and weaknesses is crucial. One approach is to employ direct removal spells that can target planeswalkers such as Hero’s Downfall or The Elderspell. Fast-paced, aggressive decks can also put pressure on your opponent, forcing them to use their resources to defend Nicol Bolas rather than utilizing his destructive abilities.

Another strategy is to use counter spells when Nicol Bolas is cast, thereby preventing him from entering the battlefield in the first place. Negate and Disdainful Stroke are popular choices that can fulfill this role without requiring an extensive mana investment. Additionally, having creatures with haste that can swing directly at planeswalkers can significantly reduce Nicol Bolas’s loyalty counters and influence on the board. Lastly, don’t overlook the value of hexproof or indestructible creatures, which can serve as a defensive bulwark while you build enough board presence to challenge Nicol Bolas directly.

Effectively countering Nicol Bolas involves a blend of foresight, resource management, and timely aggression. By limiting his impact and prolonging your hold on the game, you can turn the tide and overcome the considerable challenge he represents.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deepening your MTG playbook is essential when facing mighty cards like Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker. Understanding the card’s multi-faceted strengths and its potential drawbacks is key to both wielding it effectively or countering it in battle. Whether you’re considering adding Nicol Bolas to your collection for its sheer power and versatility or devising strategies to dismantle its influence, knowing the intricacies of such a card can dramatically swing matches in your favor. For those keen on mastering the art of MTG, explore further with us and uncover more insights that could propel you to victory. Let’s unlock the secrets together, and may your next duel showcase the depth of your strategic acumen.


Cards like Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

Nicol Bolas, the infamous planeswalker from Magic: The Gathering, stands tall among the most potent and iconic cards in the game’s pantheon. When drawing parallels, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon emerges as a formidable counterpart. Both share an impactful presence on the board and a pivotal high mana cost that appeals to late-game strategies. Ugin’s colorless nature and versatile removal ability can be seen as a reflection of Nicol Bolas’s universal manipulation of the board through direct damage, creature control, and card advantage.

Another comparison leads us to Liliana Vess, a planeswalker with a knack for disrupting the opponent’s hand, much like Nicol Bolas with its ability to force discards. However, Nicol Bolas also boasts a versatility that can affect the entire board, showing that it provides a broader utility. While Liliana shines in targeted disruption, Nicol Bolas presents an array of strategic options that can swing the game’s momentum in one fell swoop.

These comparisons highlight the unique qualities that Nicol Bolas possesses within the realm of planeswalkers in Magic: The Gathering. Its multi-faceted abilities ensure a commanding influence on gameplay, cementing its reputation as a premier card choice for players wielding control decks.

Nicol Bolas - MTG Card versions
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - MTG Card versions
Liliana Vess - MTG Card versions
Nicol Bolas - Legends (LEG)
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon - Ugin's Fate (UGIN)
Liliana Vess - Lorwyn (LRW)

Cards similar to Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker by color, type and mana cost

Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver - MTG Card versions
Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver - Hour of Devastation (HOU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Conflux, 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 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2009-02-06 and 2018-10-05. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 650092015normalblackChris Rahn
22009-02-06ConfluxCON 1202003normalblackD. Alexander Gregory
32011-09-02Duel Decks: Ajani vs. Nicol BolasDDH 422003normalblackIzzy
42012-07-13Magic 2013M13 1992003normalblackD. Alexander Gregory
52017-06-16Archenemy: Nicol BolasE01 852015normalblackChris Rahn
62018-10-05Mythic EditionMED GR42015normalborderlessSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2009-02-01 The control-change effect has no duration. It will last until the game ends or the affected creature leaves the battlefield. It may be superseded by a later control-change effect.
2012-07-01 For the third ability, if the player is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. No damage will be dealt, no cards will be discarded, and no permanents will be sacrificed.
2012-07-01 If the damage from Nicol Bolas’s third ability is prevented or redirected, the rest of the effect will still happen. Specifically, the number of cards discarded and permanents sacrificed isn’t tied to the amount of damage dealt.

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