Deathmask Nezumi MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Rat Shaman
Released	2005-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Saviors of Kamigawa
Set code	SOK
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	66
Frame	2003
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Daren Bader

Key Takeaways

Deathmask Nezumi excels in disrupting opponents’ hands, providing a controlled game dynamic.
Instant speed fear activation offers strategic unblockability, enhancing combat tactics.
Requires careful hand management to mitigate its attack phase discard requirement.

Text of card

As long as you have seven or more cards in hand, Deathmask Nezumi gets +2/+1 and has fear.

"We had him cornered, we did . . . and, well, you know what they say about rats." —Araba patrol survivor

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deathmask Nezumi has the potential to consistently reduce the number of cards in your opponent’s hand, subsequently tilting the card advantage in your favor. This disruptive capability can be a key strategy in controlling the pace of the match.

Resource Acceleration: While the Deathmask Nezumi itself doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, its ability to keep the opponent’s hand size under control indirectly accelerates your resource advantage, as they may struggle to find answers or play their more resource-intensive spells.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Deathmask Nezumi’s fear ability at instant speed allows for strategic combat decisions. You can surprise an opponent by making it unblockable except by black and artifact creatures at the most opportune moment, such as after they’ve declared no blockers, expecting a safe block.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: With Deathmask Nezumi, each attack phase requires a card to be discarded, which can deplete your hand quickly if you are not generating enough card advantage, putting you at a strategic disadvantage in the longer game.

Specific Mana Cost: Being locked into black mana for casting this creature can pose a challenge in multicolored decks that may need a more flexible mana base to effectively play other spells and abilities, limiting the decks that can optimally utilize Deathmask Nezumi.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature that necessitates card discard to activate its full potential, the mana cost may be seen as excessive when compared to other cards with lower mana requirements and similar or better effects, potentially slowing down your game tempo and reducing overall efficiency.

Reasons to Include Deathmask Nezumi in Your Collection

Versatility: Deathmask Nezumi provides a resilient threat that adapts well to various deck builds. Its ability to become more potent as your opponent’s hand diminishes makes it a flexible addition, suited to aggressive strategies that pressure the opponent’s resources.

Combo Potential: With its hand-size monitoring ability, Deathmask Nezumi pairs well with cards and tactics designed to disrupt your opponent’s hand. Interactions with discard effects can transform it into a formidable creature on the battlefield, integrating effectively into decks focused on this synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where control decks and hand depletion strategies are prevalent, Deathmask Nezumi shines by punishing opponents with low hand counts and gaining strength when it matters most. It can be a valuable counter in a metagame that forces players to manage their hand size meticulously.

How to Beat

Overcoming Deathmask Nezumi in Magic: The Gathering can be a subtle but impactful task. This cunning creature card is most effective in decks that revolve around discard strategies and might catch an opponent off-guard. Typically, it thrives in environments where players are consistently reducing their hand size, making its ability to grow stronger as each player has fewer cards in hand a significant threat.

To efficiently neutralize the power of Deathmask Nezumi, ensuring a healthy hand size is key. Utilizing cards that allow you to draw more cards or recover them from your graveyard can help in maintaining a strategic advantage. Additionally, incorporating instant-speed removal spells will give you the flexibility to respond to the creature as it becomes a threat, ideally when your hand is sufficiently stocked and its power boost is not active.

A balanced approach of hand management and timely removal can tilt the scales in your favor against a Deathmask Nezumi-centric strategy. By being proactive and reactionary with your card choices and plays, you can stem the rise of this swift and potentially overwhelming adversary.

Cards like Deathmask Nezumi

In examining Deathmask Nezumi in the landscape of MTG, it’s intriguing to look at other cards that share its attributes. In the realm of black creatures with a power and toughness of 2/2, the Nezumi strikes a unique pose. For instance, Black Cat is another 2-mana creature, but instead of relying on the opponent’s hand size like Deathmask Nezumi, it uses its death to force discard upon its opponent.

Then there’s the Dauthi Slayer, which also finds harmony at two mana and carries with it the shadow ability, ensuring it can only be blocked by creatures with the same ability. Unlike Deathmask Nezumi’s conditional fear ability, which can be more versatile depending on your opponent’s hand, Dauthi Slayer consistently evades regular blockers. Lastly, we consider the Brain Weevil, which, for an additional mana and sacrifice, pressures your opponent’s hand through forced discard.

While each of these cards offer unique advantages, Deathmask Nezumi has a tactical edge with its fear ability activated by your opponent’s hand size. This can make it an unpredictable and menacing presence on the battlefield, reflective of its lore and flavor within MTG.

Cards similar to Deathmask Nezumi by color, type and mana cost

Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions

Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)

Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)

El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)

Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)

Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)

Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)

Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)

Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)

Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)

Hypnotic Specter - Magic Player Rewards 2006 (P06)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deathmask Nezumi MTG card by a specific set like Saviors of Kamigawa, 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 Deathmask Nezumi and other MTG cards: