Nemesis
From MTG Salvation Wiki
- For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation).
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Symbol | 
| |
| Design Team | Mike Elliott (lead) Bill Rose Mark Rosewater | |
| Development Team | Mike Elliott (lead) Charlie Catena Paul Peterson Teeuwynn Woodruff | |
| Release Date | February, 2000 | |
| Mechanics | Spellshapers, Alternative Costs, Laccoliths, Seals, Rebels and Mercenaries | |
| Keywords/ Ability words | Fading | |
| Size | 143 (55 Common 44 Uncommon 44 Rare) | |
| Expansion Code | NEM | |
| Development Codename | Euripides | |
| Sets in Masques block | ||
| Mercadian Masques | Nemesis | Prophecy |
| Magic: The Gathering Chronology | ||
| Mercadian Masques | Nemesis | Prophecy |
Nemesis is the twentieth Magic expansion and was released in 2000 as the second set in the Masques block. It continued Mercadian Masques's themes of spellshapers, rebels and mercenaries, and cards with alternative casting costs. Nemesis is generally considered to be the most powerful set of the Masques block.
Contents |
[edit] Keywords and mechanics
Nemesis introduced the only keyword mechanic of the Masques block, Fading. The only cards in the block with Fading appear in the Nemesis expansion. The keyword meant that cards with the ability only remained in play for a few turns, but were typically heavily discounted as a result. Many cards with fading also had activated abilities that traded the card's fade counters for various effects.
[edit] Cycles
Nemesis has seven cycles:
- Calling creatures vertical cycle: Each of these green spells allows you to search your library for cards with the same name as a creature you control, representing the creature calling its fellows — Skyshroud Sentinel (common), Nesting Wurm (uncommon) and Pack Hunt (rare). These cards were heralded by Howling Wolf in Mercadian Masques.
- Free instants: If your opponent controls a certain land and you control a certain land you may play each of these spells without paying their mana cost — Sivvi's Ruse, Submerge, Massacre, Mogg Salvage and Refreshing Rain.
- Laccoliths vertical cycle: When one of these red beasts become blocked, you may have it deal damage equal to its power to target creature; if you do so, the creature deals no combat damage that turn — Laccolith Whelp (common), Laccolith Warrior (uncommon) and Laccolith Titan (rare).
- Legendary land mega-mega cycle: Kor Haven is the fourth card in this mega-mega cycle, which also includes Teferi's Isle, Volrath's Stronghold, Yavimaya Hollow and Keldon Necropolis
- Seals: Each of these common enchantments can be sacrificed to mimic the effect of a certain common instant — Seal of Cleansing (Disenchant), Seal of Removal (Unsummon), Seal of Doom (Dark Banishing), Seal of Fire (Shock) and Seal of Strength (Giant Growth).
- Uncommon angel mega cycle: Voice of Truth is the final card in this mega cycle, which also includes Voice of Grace, Voice of Law, Voice of Duty and Voice of Reason. These are uncommon white angels, each of which had a different protection from color.
- Tribal-Rebels: Augmenting the Rebel and Mercenary mechanics in white and black, the other colors are given cards which are either Mercenaries or Rebels and have the ability "
, 
: Search your library for a [Creature type] card and put that card into play. Shuffle your library". The blue Seahunter searching for Merfolk, the red Moggcatcher searching for Goblins and the green Skyshroud Poacher searching for Elves.
[edit] Tournament impact
Several cards from the set have made marks on the tournament scene, including Blastoderm, Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero, Parallax Wave, Accumulated Knowledge, Daze, Tangle Wire and the five seals (for example, Seal of Fire.)
[edit] Functional reprints
Nemesis has one functional reprint:
- Spineless Thug is a functional reprint of Craven Knight from Portal and Young Wei Recruits from Portal Three Kingdoms, save for creature type.
[edit] Other information
A card of note is Ascendant Evincar. It was the first card to represent the same legendary permanent as a previous card following a major change in the character's storyline. The card was not named "Crovax, Ascendant Evincar", in order to avoid confusion over whether the "legend rule" came into effect when the Evincar and Crovax the cursed were both in play. This policy was later dropped with the printing of Ertai, the Corrupted in Planeshift.
[edit] Theme decks
The pre-constructed theme decks are:
| Theme deck name | |||||
| White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | |
| Breakdown | ■ | ■ | |||
| Eruption | □ | ■ | |||
| Mercenaries | ■ | ||||
| Replicator | ■ | ■ | |||
