Nightveil Specter MTG Card


Nightveil Specter generates card advantage by exiling and playing cards from opponents’ decks. Specific mana cost and risk of hand overflow can limit its inclusion in decks. Versatile and meta-relevant, it provides sustained value in varied deck strategies.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Specter
Abilities Flying
Power 2
Toughness 3

Text of card

Flying Whenever Nightveil Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles the top card of his or her library. You may play cards exiled with Nightveil Specter.


Cards like Nightveil Specter

Nightveil Specter is a unique fixture in the realm of blue-black creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It’s often compared to cards like Thief of Sanity, which also grants the ability to cast cards exiled from the opponent’s library. The Specter shines with its hybrid mana cost, offering flexible casting options in multicolored decks. Unlike Thief of Sanity, Nightveil Specter can exile cards from the top of the opponent’s library whenever it deals combat damage to a player, rather than just when it deals damage to that player.

Another analog is Gonti, Lord of Luxury, which exiles cards from an opponent’s library and lets you play them as well. While Gonti gives you a one-time chance to strike gold with the opponent’s cards, Nightveil Specter provides a continuous threat, generating card advantage over multiple turns if it remains unchecked. Additionally, the Specter can impact mana development by allowing you to play lands exiled with it, a facet Gonti does not offer.

Comparing these cards, Nightveil Specter holds a balanced position in MTG, adept at disrupting the opponent’s strategy while providing sustained value in both aggressive and control-oriented deck archetypes.

Thief of Sanity - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions
Thief of Sanity - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Nightveil Specter by color, type and mana cost

Mundungu - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Urborg Phantom - MTG Card versions
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Dralnu's Pet - MTG Card versions
Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Psychatog - MTG Card versions
Satoru Umezawa - MTG Card versions
Master of Death - MTG Card versions
Urborg Emissary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Cutpurse - MTG Card versions
Dimir Doppelganger - MTG Card versions
Cemetery Puca - MTG Card versions
Gravelgill Duo - MTG Card versions
Wasp Lancer - MTG Card versions
Shore Snapper - MTG Card versions
Harbor Bandit - MTG Card versions
Bane Alley Broker - MTG Card versions
Siren of the Silent Song - MTG Card versions
Jorubai Murk Lurker - MTG Card versions
Mundungu - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Urborg Phantom - MTG Card versions
Urborg Drake - MTG Card versions
Dralnu's Pet - MTG Card versions
Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Psychatog - MTG Card versions
Satoru Umezawa - MTG Card versions
Master of Death - MTG Card versions
Urborg Emissary - MTG Card versions
Dimir Cutpurse - MTG Card versions
Dimir Doppelganger - MTG Card versions
Cemetery Puca - MTG Card versions
Gravelgill Duo - MTG Card versions
Wasp Lancer - MTG Card versions
Shore Snapper - MTG Card versions
Harbor Bandit - MTG Card versions
Bane Alley Broker - MTG Card versions
Siren of the Silent Song - MTG Card versions
Jorubai Murk Lurker - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Nightveil Specter. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
B/W MidB/W Mid Free formCanadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nightveil Specter presents a unique way to generate card advantage by exiling the top card of an opponent’s library whenever it deals combat damage. You can then play lands or cast spells from among the cards exiled, ensuring an influx of options beyond your own deck’s resources.

Resource Acceleration: By allowing you to play lands from the exiled cards, Nightveil Specter can unexpectedly ramp your available mana. This aspect turns every successful hit into a potential treasure trove, providing you with more avenues to deploy threats or answers ahead of schedule.

Instant Speed: While Nightveil Specter itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the ability to cast exiled spells whenever you could cast a sorcery adds a layer of unpredictability to your strategy. It forces opponents to play around not just your open mana, but the potential for unexpected plays from their own library, essentially at instant speed regarding strategic planning.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nightveil Specter does not initially require a card to be discarded, but its ability to exile cards from the top of an opponent’s library can potentially lead to hand overflow and subsequent discard at the end of your turn. This can be particularly disadvantageous when you find yourself reluctantly discarding valuable cards you can’t cast.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring one blue, one black, and one generic mana, Nightveil Specter’s specific mana cost demands a strict adherence to a two-color mana base. This can complicate deck building, especially for players wanting to maintain a stable mana curve in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing a total of three mana may seem reasonable, but in the competitive landscape where efficiency is key, the three-mana investment for a 2/3 flyer that requires time to generate value might be seen as a steep cost. Other cards at a similar mana cost could provide more immediate board presence or impact.


Reasons to Include Nightveil Specter in Your Collection

Versatility: Nightveil Specter offers a unique blend of abilities, serving as both a flying threat and a source of card advantage. Its color requirements allow it to slot into a variety of decks, primarily those based in blue and black mana.

Combo Potential: As a card that exiles the top card of your opponent’s library upon dealing combat damage, Nightveil Specter provides potential synergy with strategies that utilize opponents’ cards or benefit from exile effects.

Meta-Relevance: This card gains value in a meta filled with non-creature heavy decks, allowing you to safely land hits and slowly tilt the card advantage in your favor while controlling the board.


How to beat

Nightveil Specter is a challenging card to encounter in the Magic: The Gathering landscape. Originating from the dim corridors of the Dimir guild, this card is known for its capability to expropriate cards from the opponent, which can gradually turn the tide of the game. To effectively neutralize this floating threat, consider cards that can work preemptively or retaliate without relying on color-specific mana.

One of the most effective strategies is to deploy removal spells that can target Nightveil Specter regardless of its protection mechanisms. Universal removals like Murder or Doom Blade offer direct and efficient solutions, while board wipes such as Wrath of God cleanse the board indiscriminately, eliminating any Specter hiding in the shadows. Additionally, enchantments like Pacifism can incapacitate the Specter, preventing it from attacking or blocking, thus stymieing its ability to pilfer from your deck.

In essence, prioritizing removal options within your deck that are versatile and less restrictive by mana color can ensure you’re prepared for when the spectral winged nuisance enters the battlefield. Strategic removal maintains game tempo and keeps such formidable threats in check, preserving your resources and advancing your position in the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the MTG realm where Nightveil Specter hovers as a card of clandestine power. Weighing its pros and cons is essential for optimal deck synergy—balancing the advantage of exiling cards with the potential downsides. Understanding this creature’s role, from disrupting opponents to offering a combo playmaker, enhances strategic deck building. Curious to expand your collection with Nightveil Specter or seeking alternatives that serve a similar purpose? Delve into our discussions on card comparisons, meta relevance, and strategies tailored to harness or combat this spectral force. Learn more and refine your deck to unsettle adversaries at every turn.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nightveil Specter MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Gatecrash, 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 Nightveil Specter and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nightveil Specter Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2013-02-01 and 2018-11-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 479952003NormalBlackSteven Belledin
22013-02-01GatecrashGTC 2222003NormalBlackMin Yum
32018-11-02GRN Guild KitGK1 192015NormalBlackMin Yum

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nightveil Specter has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2013-01-24 Nightveil Specter’s last ability applies to cards exiled with that specific Nightveil Specter, not any other creature named Nightveil Specter. You should keep cards exiled by different Nightveil Specters separate.
2013-01-24 Playing a card exiled with Nightveil Specter follows all the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all timing restrictions, for example.
2013-01-24 The card is exiled face up. All players may look at it.