Oh, hey. Didn't expect to see you here. What brings you to this neck of the woods, Sir Nantuko?
trowa_barton03
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
powerful , but it's ability can be responded :/
Temple_Garden
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
This guy was fun back in the days of Odyssey block - black had Cabal Coffers back then. I'm surprised WotC didn't go lame and turn him into a vampire.
SethLarz
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Just so good, black just got a lot faster and meaner. Still in a Daze from when they revealed its reprinting.
raptorjesus69
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Perfect for mono black aggro. I'm glad they decided to reprint this fella.
dberry02
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This used to be $13 back in the day, and I used to own one! I wonder how much this will be worth in standard... This should at least be pretty strong in limited, though the double black mana cost slows it down.
GruesomeGoo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm so happy to see the undead insect man return. I'm even more happy that he isn't a vampire.
LTJZamboni
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(7 votes)
Guess who's back? Back again? Shady's back! Tell a friend!
5/5
HairlessThoctar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Without Cabal Ritual or Cabal Coffers this guy isn't nearly as playable as it was in it's heyday, but I can't help think Wizards would be well aware of this... As such, I reckon Scars will put some sort of black acceleration into the format.
Paleopaladin
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
OMG! They didn't!
Doom_Lich
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I pulled this guy in the prerelease. He was an absolute BOMB. He was also the sole reason I played black.
So good to see Nantuko Shade grace the spoiler pages !! We lost Nocturnus, at least this guy gives the mono black decks some hope !! Great card, thanks for not changing the art !!
cloneffect
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Brilliant. Pulled this guy at the prerelease and didn't lose a game. He's just so good. An early game efficient drop that's also a late-game bomb? For an efficient mana cost? Wow. A complete house in limited, and if he isn't constructed viable, he damn well should be. 5/5.
akantor
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
this card will truly bring back black into the spotlight and will most likely see play in pro tours and worlds
Gezus82
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
so the reprinting of this card means that wizards believes that we should be able to make a non vamp mono black deck.
interesting
maybe I should take a look to see what they're getting at.
obakabible
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I pulled one of these from one of the packs I won at the pre release, and I also got an Ichorid because I felt like getting some Torment packs. I never had the chance to get either of these back in the day, and now my EDH deck is looking pretty good.
Zuxen
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
@trowa_barton03 im a little new at the game, but how do i respond to the ability? Can i use mana leak? or destroy the shade with a bolt? or is there a better way?
Selez
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(11 votes)
For those who say that this should be a vampire, I can't say how strongly I disagree with you. This is one of the best decisions wizards did with the whole set. Bringing back a classic instead of creating a new, more powerful version? Brilliant. The last thing we need is a NEW powerhouse to "appease" the experienced player fanbase; but an unexpected blast from the past? I love it.
yesnomu
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Super good. Here's the trick: Cast as little as possible first main phase. The more mana you have open for the combat, the more tricks you can pull. You're giving your opponent a total black box in terms of how big you're planning to pump him, and will often make a bad choice.
Even if you want to spend all your mana on spells, there's a good chance your opponent will let him get through to avoid losing their creatures--and two a turn for two invested is pretty dang nice. And with some kind of evasion... well, let's just say Helix Pinnacle would have been played a lot more if you only needed 20 counters...
mdakw576
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
With no cabal coffers maybe this guy will be under control this time? idk. gogo crypt of agadeem and nirkana revenant shenanigans
Back in black I hit the sack I've been too long I'm glad to be back Yes I'm, let loose From the noose That's kept me hanging about I keep looking at the sky 'Cause it's gettin' me high Forget the herse 'cause I'll never die I got nine lives Cat's eyes Usin' every one of them and running wild
'Cause I'm back Yes, I'm back Well, I'm back Yes, I'm back Well, I'm back, back (Well) I'm back in black Yes, I'm back in black
EDIT: @Zuxen: You can respond to his ability with something like Disfigure or Lightning Bolt.
DoctorKenneth
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(9 votes)
(The greatness of this card mechanically is obvious enough to not warrant comment at this point)
Wizards, 2009: We changed nantuko husk to this vampire because players of a core set probably don't know what a "Nantuko" is. Vampires resonate more with new players. We know the husk is a classic, but we'd rather take a nostalgia hit than confuse new players.
Wizards, 2010: Here's a classic Nantuko in a core set. Vampire Aristocrat? We have no idea what you're talking about.
Wizards, 2011: Now, new players probably don't know what a Cephalid is, so here's Cephalid Retainer reinvisioned as a dolphin with a crossbow.
AmericanVigor
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
The best shade out there, hands down.
Tobolococo
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
this, by today standards, is not broken, not even close, it stands as a very good card still, i do hope they reprint him for several more years, since classics like this should always be reprinted in a core set.
Gishra
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I wish Wizards wouldn't reprint classic cards like this unless they knew they were going to get used in the current standard environment. Seeing the once legendary Nantuko Shade that used to be a ten dollar rare (a rare reaching ten bucks was a big deal, back in the day) come back just to be chucked into dollar rare bins is just criminal. Leave cards like this in the past so they still have their old mystique around them instead of bringing them back to say "hey look, this sucks now!".
luca_barelli
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
i'm suprised this never really found a home in Standard. Still a great card, though.
Kindulas
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Finally! a cost effective shade! Then came nirkana revenant, but's it's a special case, being a high cost ramper. This is the only cost effective shade-only shade
Ferlord
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Can counter burners (if you have enough land left) and is highly efficient. Still isn't as good as Figure of Destiny, but that card is OP. This one still makes your opponent feel like they have a fighting chance
badmallocx
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm thankful they reprinted this guy in M11. I used him in standard and legacy. But, I'm really going to miss him not being in M12. Instead we get another old classic, Grim Lavamancer - that's a pretty good consolation.
JFM2796
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
At first glance I was like "Yeah whatever". I didn't even notice it was rare it just seemed like one of those shades they print in every set. After seeing it in play however, I was blown away.
SAllison87
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
F***s up anyone's day
Blackshayde
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I agree, this card makes Vampires (already a poor tribal deck) even worse. I must have crushed opponents with this card so many many times, and the games have been very short. Fact is, if this guy is the only thing on the battlefield and your opponent has no bounce or removal (good reason to play early discard) its lights out.
Salient
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'm glad the artwork didn't get replaced; the picture looks so much better in this new printing. Thanks for the reprint, Wizards; this may not see Mono-Black Control play anymore, but it's still a dear old friend. (Oh, and the updated flavor text is a nice touch.)
zenitramleirdag
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
soild creature! wonder why he aint seeing much play these days?
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
This is still strong, just allot of removal out there.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you ever wondered which shade was the best, well, look no further. 2/1 for is underwhelming for most creatures. For a shade it's balls-out insane. There's a serious problem when you can swing for 5 with a single creature on turn 3... in black. 5/5
Pipikako
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The best 2 mana drop...emm no... the best shade... emm the best insect,..... emmm hmm the best black creature.... hm...the best pump up creature.....i give up. This card is bomb.
5/5
Ratazana
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This dude is a fast taker!
blurrymadness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Black mana ramp isn't around so he's a little safer to print as well. If you go *BOOM* with an extra 10 damage out of nowhere and every turn that's what you're bluffing it's easy to warp the game. If instead you can only bluff with your number of swamps, it's a little less dangerous.
Consider songs of the damned as a possible finisher. Keep a hefty costed finisher as an alternate target for all of that mana.
All kidding aside, Nantuko Shade is just a total monster... and the fact that he eats Dark Rituals (the obvious auto-include card in the mono-black deck you are running the shade in) in the mid/late game and turns them into Giant Growths just makes him that much better....
Freaktard
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Gishra: If this were in the current standard, it might make for a more aggressive version of black devotion. It adds nicely to the devotion count and makes good use of nykthos.
Comments (51)
I'm even more happy that he isn't a vampire.
Back again?
Shady's back!
Tell a friend!
5/5
As such, I reckon Scars will put some sort of black acceleration into the format.
interesting
maybe I should take a look to see what they're getting at.
im a little new at the game, but how do i respond to the ability?
Can i use mana leak? or destroy the shade with a bolt? or is there a better way?
Even if you want to spend all your mana on spells, there's a good chance your opponent will let him get through to avoid losing their creatures--and two a turn for two invested is pretty dang nice. And with some kind of evasion... well, let's just say Helix Pinnacle would have been played a lot more if you only needed 20 counters...
I hit the sack
I've been too long I'm glad to be back
Yes I'm, let loose
From the noose
That's kept me hanging about
I keep looking at the sky
'Cause it's gettin' me high
Forget the herse 'cause I'll never die
I got nine lives
Cat's eyes
Usin' every one of them and running wild
'Cause I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back
Yes, I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
(Well) I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black
EDIT: @Zuxen: You can respond to his ability with something like Disfigure or Lightning Bolt.
Wizards, 2009: We changed nantuko husk to this vampire because players of a core set probably don't know what a "Nantuko" is. Vampires resonate more with new players. We know the husk is a classic, but we'd rather take a nostalgia hit than confuse new players.
Wizards, 2010: Here's a classic Nantuko in a core set. Vampire Aristocrat? We have no idea what you're talking about.
Wizards, 2011: Now, new players probably don't know what a Cephalid is, so here's Cephalid Retainer reinvisioned as a dolphin with a crossbow.
Still isn't as good as Figure of Destiny, but that card is OP. This one still makes your opponent feel like they have a fighting chance
5/5
Consider songs of the damned as a possible finisher. Keep a hefty costed finisher as an alternate target for all of that mana.
All kidding aside, Nantuko Shade is just a total monster... and the fact that he eats Dark Rituals (the obvious auto-include card in the mono-black deck you are running the shade in) in the mid/late game and turns them into Giant Growths just makes him that much better....