Arctic Nishoba MTG Card
2005-08-22 - Number L26
2005-08-22 - Number L14
2006-07-21 - Number 102
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Cat Warrior |
| Abilities | Cumulative upkeep,Trample |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Key Takeaways
- Potent in the right deck, Arctic Nishoba leverages spells and abilities for card advantage and combat potency.
- Its demanding mana needs encourage resource acceleration which can be an integral part of deck strategy.
- Synchronizes with instant-speed spells, Arctic Nishoba utilizes trample to surprise opponents and secure victories.
Text of card
Trample Cumulative upkeep or (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.) When Arctic Nishoba dies, you gain 2 life for each age counter on it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Arctic Nishoba can provide significant card advantage in the right deck. As a creature that benefits from being targeted by spells or abilities, it works well with auras or combat tricks. Additionally, if you manage to get the creature back from the graveyard using spells or abilities, this can accumulate additional benefits over the course of the game.
Resource Acceleration: Since Arctic Nishoba has a higher mana cost, incorporating it into your deck encourages the use of mana ramp strategies. Whether through artifact mana sources or green’s natural ability to accelerate lands, including this card in your deck ensures the overall strategy tends to focus on getting ahead in resources to cast high-impact spells quicker.
Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Arctic Nishoba synergizes well with instant-speed spells. With its trample ability, instant speed combat tricks can become game-enders by buffing the creature right as it deals combat damage, potentially catching an opponent unprepared and resulting in a significantly larger life points swing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Unlike other creatures where you can simply pay the mana and play, Arctic Nishoba requires a card from your hand to be discarded if you’re using a specific ability to get it onto the battlefield. This stipulation means you might have to give up another valuable card, potentially putting you at a disadvantage if your hand is already sparse.
Specific Mana Cost: Arctic Nishoba demands a precise blend of mana colors to cast. With an essential mana composition that includes both green and white, players running a multicolor deck might find themselves unable to summon this creature when needed due to mana restrictions. This makes Arctic Nishoba less versatile in decks that can’t reliably produce both colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that reaches into the higher end of the spectrum, Arctic Nishoba can be a weighty investment for your mana pool. This cost might deter players from including it in their decks when there are other creatures available at a lower mana point that offer similar or better benefits, resulting in a potentially inefficient mana expenditure.
Reasons to Include Arctic Nishoba in Your Collection
Versatility: Arctic Nishoba is not just a hefty creature with trample, it boasts flexibility across various matchups. Its sizable stats make it a strong presence in creature-focused decks or those aiming to capitalize on life gain for added benefit.
Combo Potential: This card becomes a powerful asset when paired with decks that capitalize on lifelink synergies or recursion strategies. Its potential to provide a large life swing can turn the tide in creature-heavy battles.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature combat is prevalent, Arctic Nishoba can be a game-changer. Its capacity to outsize opponents and offer strategic life gains can give players the upper hand in sustaining their position on the battlefield.
How to beat
Arctic Nishoba may seem like a formidable creature in MTG with its trample ability and the potential for a significant life gain upon its demise. However, every card has its Achilles’ heel. To overcome this snowy beast, consider using removal spells that exile, circumvent its trample with chump blockers, or counteract the life gain through damage amplification or life loss effects. Pay attention to the timing of your spells and abilities, since disrupting an opponent’s strategy when they least expect it can turn the tide of the match.
Tactics such as employing cards with ‘Destroy target creature’ abilities won’t suffice due to Arctic Nishoba’s protection from creatures. Instead, specify ‘Destroy target noncreature permanent’ to bypass its protections or ‘Exile target creature’ to remove it from play altogether, ensuring no life gain for your opponent. Moreover, incorporating cards that negate or replace the life gain effect could also undermine this creature’s benefit to your opponent. Cards that replace life gain with an alternative outcome or reverse the life gain into life loss can provide an edge in defeating Arctic Nishoba.
In summary, your strategy should revolve around preparedness and inclusion of effective countermeasures within your deck. By doing so, you stand a strong chance of nullifying Arctic Nishoba’s advantages and maintaining control over the game.
Cards like Arctic Nishoba
Arctic Nishoba stands out within the realm of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering, particularly those with trample and protection abilities. It shares some kinship with Bellowing Tanglewurm, which also bestows the formidable trample ability on other green creatures. However, Arctic Nishoba comes with its own twist, carrying not just trample but also protection from red, making it a resilient threat on the board against one of MTG’s primary colors for removal.
Comparing it further, creatures like Troll Ascetic resonate on a similar frequency, being another creature with protection — in its case, from spells that target it, known as hexproof. Then there’s Silverback Shaman, which also is a sizable trample creature that yields card advantage upon death. Yet neither boast the combination of sizable stats and specific color protection that Arctic Nishoba does, enhancing its utility in games where red spells dominate the field.
In summary, while there are numerous creatures within MTG that share traits with Arctic Nishoba, its unique blend of abilities and protections makes it a distinct and formidable presence, capable of asserting dominance in battles and proving difficult for red-oriented opponents to handle efficiently.
Cards similar to Arctic Nishoba by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Arctic Nishoba MTG card by a specific set like Salvat 2005 and Salvat 2005, 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 Arctic Nishoba and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Arctic Nishoba Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2005-08-22 and 2006-07-21. Illustrated by Dave Kendall.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | L26 | 2003 | Normal | White | Dave Kendall | |
| 2 | 2005-08-22 | Salvat 2005 | PSAL | L14 | 2003 | Normal | White | Dave Kendall | |
| 3 | 2006-07-21 | Coldsnap | CSP | 102 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Arctic Nishoba has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Arctic Nishoba card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Paying cumulative upkeep is always optional. If it’s not paid, the permanent with cumulative upkeep is sacrificed. Partial payments of the total cumulative upkeep cost can’t be made. For example, if a permanent with “cumulative upkeep ” has three age counters on it when its cumulative upkeep ability triggers, it gets another age counter and then its controller chooses to either pay or sacrifice the permanent. |
