Ashiok, Nightmare Muse MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Planeswalker — Ashiok
Loyalty 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Ashiok facilitates card advantage by making opponents exile cards, disrupting their strategy effectively.
  2. Although not directly, Ashiok can tilt resource balance in your favor through constant pressure.
  3. Instant speed abilities of Ashiok alter game momentum and can mill essential opponent cards.

Text of card


+1: Create a 2/3 blue and black Nightmare creature token with "Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, each opponent exiles the top two cards of their library."
-3: Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand, then that player exiles a card from their hand.
-7: You may cast up to three spells from among face-up cards your opponents own from exile without paying their mana costs.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ashiok Nightmare Muse excels at generating card advantage by creating nightmare illusions that force opponents to exile cards from their hand or graveyard. Each illusion’s exile trigger can disrupt an opponent’s game plan while increasing your options.

Resource Acceleration: While Ashiok itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the constant pressure it exerts can indirectly lead to a resource advantage. By forcing an opponent to deal with Ashiok’s threats, you can gain the upper hand as they divert resources to address the planeswalker.

Instant Speed: Ashiok’s -3 ability can be a game-changer. Bouncing an opponent’s creature or permanent to their hand at instant speed during your turn can create opportunities to swing the game’s momentum in your favor, with the added benefit of milling for two cards, potentially removing key components from your opponent’s strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of Ashiok, Nightmare Muse is the necessity to have a card in hand to fuel its escape mechanism. If your hand is empty, bringing Ashiok back from the graveyard is not an option, potentially reducing its impact in longer games where resources are stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost of Ashiok, Nightmare Muse is quite particular, requiring both blue and black mana. This specificity means that it’s not as flexible for deck inclusion, especially for those that do not run a blue-black color scheme. This can make deckbuilding slightly more challenging, as you must ensure a stable mana base to cast it consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Ashiok can be somewhat slow to hit the battlefield. In a format where speed can be crucial, spending five mana on a planeswalker can seem costly, especially when the board state requires immediate attention or when playing against aggressive decks. In some cases, there might be alternative cards that apply pressure or provide protection more efficiently.


Reasons to Include Ashiok Nightmare Muse in Your Collection

Versatility: Ashiok Nightmare Muse demonstrates its flexible utility across various deck archetypes, enhancing control strategies with its disruptive abilities while providing a consistent advantage in mid-range builds. This planeswalker can adapt to different playstyles, making it a valuable asset in any collection.

Combo Potential: The nightmare tokens generated by Ashiok not only chip away at the opponent’s life but also serve as fodder for sacrifice-based combos or synergize with cards that thrive off token presence. The card’s -7 ability can turn the tide by permanently stealing the opponent’s best threats.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta ebbs and flows, Ashiok Nightmare Muse remains a compelling choice, particularly in environments heavy with creature-based strategies. Its capability to exile cards from the opponent’s hand or permanents from play makes it a formidable inclusion against a wide array of decks.


How to beat Ashiok, Nightmare Muse

Ashiok, Nightmare Muse is a potent planeswalker in Magic: The Gathering, requiring careful strategy to overcome. Its ability to create insidious Nightmare creature tokens and disrupt your hand can turn the tide of battle. To neutralize Ashiok, focus on direct damage spells or creature attacks to remove it swiftly from the battlefield. Options like Shock or Lightning Bolt can be effective, especially if Ashiok has been played recently and is still at a low loyalty level.

Counterspells can also play a crucial role, preventing Ashiok from entering the battlefield in the first place. Be ready with a Negate or a Dovin’s Veto when you sense that your opponent has the five mana necessary to cast Ashiok. Another tactic is to utilize discard effects on your opponent, such as Duress or Thoughtseize, to pluck Ashiok right from their hand before they get a chance to use it.

Finally, remember that Ashiok’s -7 ability is devastating, so try to keep the loyalty counters under control. Be vigilant, apply relentless pressure, and Ashiok, Nightmare Muse will be less of a nightmare to deal with in your games.


BurnMana Recommendations

If Ashiok, Nightmare Muse has piqued your interest, you’re on the right path to upgrading your MTG arsenal. This planeswalker’s knack for generating card advantage and pressuring opponents makes it a must-have for decks that thrive on control and disruption. Preparing your deck to include Ashiok means ensuring you’re adept at working the blue-black magic to turn the tides in your favor. Intrigued by the possibilities? We encourage you to deepen your understanding of this valuable card and integrate it into your collection. Dive into detailed strategies and card synergies that will bolster your game plan with Ashiok as a centerpiece. Come with us as we explore more ways to enhance your MTG experience.


Cards like Ashiok, Nightmare Muse

The planeswalker Ashiok, Nightmare Muse from Magic the Gathering presents unique gameplay options with its nightmare-inducing abilities. A close comparison can be drawn to Jace, the Mind Sculptor, another high-value planeswalker. Both cards allow for manipulation of game states, but Ashiok introduces an additional layer with the creation of nightmare creature tokens that can severely disrupt opponents.

Another card that shadows Ashiok’s disruptiveness is Liliana, the Last Hope. While Liliana offers recurring creature return and a potential game-ending ultimate, Ashiok’s ability to exile cards from an opponent’s hand or graveyard with its minus ability can be equally decisive. Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge also shares the boarding zone influence by affecting both players’ hands and graveyards but leans more towards artifact synergy than Ashiok’s more versatile threat generation.

Ultimately, Ashiok, Nightmare Muse stands out for its dual capability to provide both offensive pressure through token creation and strategic advantage by exiling opposing threats. This multiplicity of threats cements Ashiok’s position as a formidable planeswalker in MTG decks that value control and disruption.

Jace, the Mind Sculptor - MTG Card versions
Liliana, the Last Hope - MTG Card versions
Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge - MTG Card versions
Jace, the Mind Sculptor - Worldwake (WWK)
Liliana, the Last Hope - Eldritch Moon (EMN)
Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge - War of the Spark (WAR)

Cards similar to Ashiok, Nightmare Muse by color, type and mana cost

Tasha, the Witch Queen - MTG Card versions
Tasha, the Witch Queen - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate (CLB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ashiok, Nightmare Muse MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Theros Beyond Death Promos, 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 Ashiok, Nightmare Muse and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Ashiok, Nightmare Muse Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2020-01-24. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 798472015normalblackChuck Lukacs
22020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 208s2015normalblackRaymond Swanland
32020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 2082015normalblackRaymond Swanland
42020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 2562015normalborderlessChuck Lukacs
52020-01-24Theros Beyond Death PromosPTHB 208p2015normalblackRaymond Swanland

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ashiok, Nightmare Muse has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-01-24 Any effect that exiles a card exiles it face up unless that effect specifies otherwise.
2020-01-24 If Ashiok’s second ability returns a token to its owner’s hand, that player can’t exile that token from their hand. They must exile a card from their hand if possible.
2020-01-24 If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2020-01-24 If you cast a spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Thrill of Possibility, those must be paid to cast the card.
2020-01-24 If you wish to cast any exiled cards, you do so as part of the resolution of Ashiok’s last ability. You can’t wait to cast them later. Timing permissions based on a card’s type are ignored.
2020-01-24 In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spells and/or permanents you control from Ashiok’s last ability are exiled.
2020-01-24 The card exiled while resolving Ashiok’s second ability may be the one that was returned to its owner’s hand.
2020-01-24 You may cast any face-up cards your opponents own from exile while resolving Ashiok’s last ability, not just those exiled by Ashiok’s second ability or by Ashiok’s Nightmare tokens.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks