This card feels like a home run. Casual players like it because it can get big, it has enough potential for creativity to become a pet card of some players, and competitive players are always looking for different ways to get bigger creatures for their mana cost, especially in the same format as blightning.
chicho27
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This well def find a home in alot of deck make sure to get your playset.
DaaNz
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(20 votes)
turn 1 on the play, dark ritual, nyxathid
Brother_Librarian
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
you can't turn one it, because you need to make your opponent discard cards or it will die to to state based effectcs (which is never fun). unless they mulliganned.
Th3_Dark_On3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(7 votes)
DEFINITELY overrated. I like the art though.
Elysiume
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(10 votes)
Playing this on turn 1 from your hand would get you a 0/0 creature. How is that anything other than terrible. I guess if you went second it could be a 1/1, or maybe a 2/2. Still, giant waste.
Studoku
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(4 votes)
Sorry, Daanz; I just have to comment on how retarded that is. Playing it on turn one often means your opponent has 7 cards in hand (if they muliganned to 6, they'd draw one anyway) causing it to be a 0/0 and die.
Yes this is a good card though. It comboes well with blightning , rotting rats, possibly scepter of fugue or most good discard stuff.
God_of_Destruction
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I run this in my black-red discard deck and im telling you guys, it'll surely gave ur opponent panic as the flavor text implies...back it up with creatures like Rotting Rats with Demigo of Revenge (discard Demigod of Revenge), Hellhole Rats and Sedraxis Specter and u will surely dominate... spells like Blightning, Mind Rot and good ol Tyrannize and other good discarders will make ur opponent concede in no time...
BKHolland
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
How about a 7/7 on turn 3? I run 4 in a STANDARD discard deck and have done it 14 out of 17 games.
MightyMortox
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Yes this card can rack up some big early damage.
Fits nicely into most discard decks, play a Duress on T1 or T2 to get rid of anything your opponent might have to stop this beast and proceed to drop the hammer.
Chromatone
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Just love this card, the art is gorgeous! Its frikin 3 mana! I have played it as a 4/4 or 5/5 so many times, its worth it even as 3/3! It is just the best against low cost decks that dump there hand. One of the coolest black creatures ever!
yojimbojones
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(8 votes)
@ Elysiume, I think you are missing the point of this card. Your complaint is like saying Banefire is a bad card because if you play it on turn 1 with a single mountain it does 0 damage.
Cards like this take finesse and timing that something simple like an efficant but basic card like Savanna lion does not require.
Sadly the only one of these I could pick up at the local game store was in japanese but it's a rad card for heavy discard deck, and the art is top notch.
Dimastator
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Its good if your opponent don't have a draw optional cars like howling mine :P
inmypants22
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
overrated? more like overpowered. Average number of cards in hand? Like, 3-4. 4/4 for three is usually good.
yuksh
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card with hymns it's a beast. However, I only recommend it for black control decks. Who is so dumb to play it in the first turn when it can easily be a 0/0? ¬ ¬
mordecai17
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this is one of my favorite cards.
its won me quite a few games in tournaments, especially in my discard control deck.
not to mention this is one of the sickest pictures ever featured on a Magic card IMO,
Raymond Swanland is a god.
Clanius
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Ok I needed to say something in the defense of this card. This card is NOT supposed to be played fisrt turn yoyur fist turn should be if lucky dark ritual then duress then hymn to turok that gets rid of three cards in there had (hopefully some are lands. Then next turn comes around and you break down there hand even further. On third turn you can nyxathid out and he may even be a 5/5 or if extremely lucky a 7/7 you are supposed to drain there hand and control there hand size for this lovley card to work out correctly.
Alex123321
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
thats a gd card, escpecially with a discard deck
TheDanish
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A great card. I play a blue/black discard deck that runs 4 Megrim, 4 Skullcage, and four of these. Especially brutal against topdecks and burn decks that usually have few or no cards in hand.
Smoked_Peasant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love Nyxathid. This flint monster is a... monster. I put a trio of them in a discard deck with racks, started to prefer playing Ol' Flinty to the rack itself (I still did both considering the mana costs). This guy is the ultimate discard support. Bigger than 90% of other creatures, and so affordable to play it's no big loss to lose one.
kittyspit
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
BAALLIINNNN!!! 8D
Powereslave
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I run 3 in my mono black discard deck. The opponents hand empties often and this card can get ridiculous really quickly. Insane artwork too.
Nikeyeia
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
"OMG dis is bad 2/2 for 3 mana sux!!"
Yea, in some cases it does, but dont forget that the ability ain't a staying ability like if it came into play with -1/-1 counters on it.
Imagine casting it on turn 3 as a 2/2. Your opponent plays a land and a creature. It is now a 3/3. Next turn, play a land and something smilar to double Hymn to Tourarch, and it is suddenly a 7/7 that can attack.
This card is at least a two of in a discard deck.
Donovan_Fabian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like that it can be big, but then woolly thoctar is big and also costs 3 mana. Fun card for black though.
U-caster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have one of these in english. Sad thing is, I can't technically use it. I don't have enough cards to make a red/black deck or something where it would fit in. It would make good trade fodder, though.
BrutalJim
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(3 votes)
Anyone complaining something like "This card sucks since on turn 3 my opponent always has like at least 6 cards." is a moron. It's rather obvious cards like these are meant to fit the tempo of black discard. Using cheap early cards like Duress this can easily be a 4/4 or higher by turn 3, and then probably only getting stronger as turns go by.
Run this one with Quest for the Nihil Stone, and a sure quick death to your opponent.
spectermonger
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's better outside of standard:
turn 1: ritual into hymn and duress -3 (opponent draws, plays a land and a spell) -1
turn 2: follow up with another hymn -2 (opponent drops another land) 0
turn 3 drop: Nyxathid as either a 5/5 or 6/6 and you opponent has a crippled hand.
T2 disruption cannot do him justice. Most discard drops on the same turn he does unfortunately, which is one the the same problems Megrim and Hyppi have.
drag0nw1nd
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
amazing artwork.
ClockworkSwordfish
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Extremely good in a discard deck, but not bad in any other deck. Pretty good in EDH, too, as you can target whatever poor schmuck who's about to die, and when he does, the Nyxathid is forever 7/7.
Plus, the art is amazing and perfectly matches the flavour and flavour text. The Nyxathid thrives on fear, so the more composed your opponent is (the more cards/thoughts they have), the weaker it becomes. Back to the art; that thing is TERRIFYING. A worthy black Elemental.
NARFNra
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Considering how many cards cause discards, it's pretty neat.
dragonking987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
not bad black has plenty of cards that eat its appoints hand.
Dragonwizard99
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It's how you use it. In the right deck Nyxathid would be unstoppable. Nyxathid and 4 Locust Miser , opponents hand size 0.
Wormfang
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
pity it's target opponent not target player or this guy'd be great fun to run in a madness deck
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
in the right deck this is as strong as a tarmogoyf
divine_exodus
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
I didn't even have to look at the artist's name to know it was drawn by Raymond Swanland.
Fantastic artwork.
Love the art on the card! I feel as though the art portrays a part of the flavor.
Seems like that beast is one bad Dude, but it feels like that guy can take him with the right stuff (your hand) but now that he's depleted he will be PWND.
j_mindfingerpainter
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@ iwitch: Sorry dude, but the rulings on Torpor Orb basically say that won't work. You had me going for a minute there, though.
Comments (49)
Yes this is a good card though. It comboes well with blightning , rotting rats, possibly scepter of fugue or most good discard stuff.
Fits nicely into most discard decks, play a Duress on T1 or T2 to get rid of anything your opponent might have to stop this beast and proceed to drop the hammer.
Cards like this take finesse and timing that something simple like an efficant but basic card like Savanna lion does not require.
Sadly the only one of these I could pick up at the local game store was in japanese but it's a rad card for heavy discard deck, and the art is top notch.
However, I only recommend it for black control decks.
Who is so dumb to play it in the first turn when it can easily be a 0/0? ¬ ¬
its won me quite a few games in tournaments, especially in my discard control deck.
not to mention this is one of the sickest pictures ever featured on a Magic card IMO,
Raymond Swanland is a god.
Yea, in some cases it does, but dont forget that the ability ain't a staying ability like if it came into play with -1/-1 counters on it.
Imagine casting it on turn 3 as a 2/2. Your opponent plays a land and a creature. It is now a 3/3. Next turn, play a land and something smilar to double Hymn to Tourarch, and it is suddenly a 7/7 that can attack.
This card is at least a two of in a discard deck.
turn 1: ritual into hymn and duress -3
(opponent draws, plays a land and a spell) -1
turn 2: follow up with another hymn -2
(opponent drops another land) 0
turn 3 drop: Nyxathid as either a 5/5 or 6/6 and you opponent has a crippled hand.
T2 disruption cannot do him justice. Most discard drops on the same turn he does unfortunately, which is one the the same problems Megrim and Hyppi have.
Plus, the art is amazing and perfectly matches the flavour and flavour text. The Nyxathid thrives on fear, so the more composed your opponent is (the more cards/thoughts they have), the weaker it becomes. Back to the art; that thing is TERRIFYING. A worthy black Elemental.
Fantastic artwork.
Seems like that beast is one bad Dude, but it feels like that guy can take him with the right stuff (your hand) but now that he's depleted he will be PWND.