Nyssa of Traken MTG Card


Card Advantage: Nyssa of Traken grants extra draw options, boosting your ability to respond to foes. Instant Speed: Nyssa reacts on an opponent’s turn, offering strategic surprise maneuvers in game. Meta Relevance: She fits well in various MTG decks, retaining usability in a shifting landscape.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Scientist
Abilities Doctor's companion,Sonic Booster
Power 3
Toughness 4

Text of card

You have no maximum hand size. Sonic Booster — Whenever Nyssa of Traken attacks, sacrifice X artifacts. When you sacrifice one or more artifacts this way, tap up to X target creatures and you draw X cards. Doctor's companion (You can have two commanders if the other is the Doctor.)


Cards like Nyssa of Traken

When examining the unique qualities of Nyssa of Traken, it is important to look at its parallels in MTG. Nyssa of Traken’s ability to manipulate loyalty counters draws a parallel to cards like Aminatou, the Fateshifter. Aminatou allows for a similar shuffling of permanents, but Nyssa of Traken adds the layer of proliferate—a mechanic that escalates the power of anything with counters, thereby offering a strategic advantage in proliferate-focused decks.

Another comparable card is Ajani Steadfast. Although Ajani’s focus is more narrowly on boosting creatures and loyalty, Nyssa of Traken provides a broader counter manipulation that can apply to numerous permanents, illustrating its flexible utility. Additionally, while Ajani Steadfast thrives in creature-heavy strategies, Nyssa of Traken’s proliferate ability is more inclusive, supporting a diverse range of counter-dependent strategies.

Every planeswalker card brings a set of strategic options and Nyssa of Traken stands out with its inherent versatility. Whether integrated into a superfriends deck that capitalizes on multiple planeswalkers or a framework that’s built upon various counter types, Nyssa of Traken holds its ground as a card with multifaceted applications, casting a wide net across MTG’s vast gameplay styles.

Aminatou, the Fateshifter - MTG Card versions
Ajani Steadfast - MTG Card versions
Aminatou, the Fateshifter - MTG Card versions
Ajani Steadfast - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Nyssa of Traken by color, type and mana cost

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Phantasmal Dragon - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Glen Elendra Archmage - MTG Card versions
Fatestitcher - MTG Card versions
Argent Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Lumengrid Drake - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Infuser - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Dragon - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Nyssa of Traken offers a dynamic way to enhance your hand by presenting multiple avenues to draw extra cards, increasing your chances of pulling the right answers or threats at critical moments during play.

Resource Acceleration: This card provides a significant boost to your mana resources, unlocking potential for faster and more impactful plays. By ramping up your mana base, you can cast high-cost spells earlier than usual, tipping the scales in your favor.

Instant Speed: Nyssa of Traken operates at instant speed, which adds a layer of strategic depth to your game. The ability to react during your opponent’s turn or at the end of their phase gives you a tactical edge, allowing for surprise maneuvers and optimal use of your mana each round.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Nyssa of Traken requires you to discard a card to activate certain abilities. This can be problematic if hand resources are already stretched thin during game play, potentially forcing you to make tough decisions about what to keep.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost includes colors particular to Nyssa’s identity, which could create challenges when constructing a deck. Players may find their mana base strained if they’re hoping to include her in a multicolor deck that doesn’t heavily feature those specific colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana requirement for her most impactful abilities, Nyssa of Traken might not be the first pick in a slot where players want immediate impact on the board state. In the rapidly evolving meta, more agile options could provide quicker solutions to on-board challenges.


Reasons to Include Nyssa of Traken in Your Collection

Versatility: Nyssa of Traken is highly adaptable, seamlessly integrating into various deck archetypes. Whether you’re running a control deck that benefits from its unique abilities or aggro decks in need of late-game staying power, Nyssa of Traken offers utility and flexibility.

Combo Potential: This card shines in an environment ripe with synergies. Its abilities can be the cornerstone of powerful combos, ramping up your game as you utilize its full potential to manipulate the battlefield in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In a constantly shifting meta, Nyssa of Traken remains a relevant choice. Its power to impact the board state makes it a formidable addition against a variety of popular strategies circulating within the community.


How to beat

Nyssa of Traken poses an interesting challenge for seasoned MTG players. With her abilities tailored to control the battlefield, overcoming her requires a clever and strategic approach. Cards that offer creature removal such as Doom Blade or Murder can be highly effective, as they directly eliminate her as a threat. Additionally, exile effects from spells like Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares provide a permanent solution, ensuring Nyssa cannot return to the field through common recursion tactics.

One should also consider counterplay strategies that prevent Nyssa of Traken from unleashing her full potential. This can be achieved through counterspells like Negate or Mana Leak, which handle her proactively on the stack before she even enters the battlefield. Enchantment removal such as Disenchant can nullify any ongoing effects Nyssa has already put into play, mitigating her influence drastically.

Nyssa of Traken’s impact is undeniable, but understanding her weaknesses and knowing which cards can effectively counter her is key to emerging victorious. Utilize removal, exile spells, and preemptive counterspells to ensure she does not dictate the pace of the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Nyssa of Traken MTG card by a specific set like Doctor Who and Doctor Who, 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 Nyssa of Traken and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Nyssa of Traken Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-10-13 and 2023-10-13. Illustrated by Irina Nordsol.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 9572015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol
22023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 512015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol
32023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 3662015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol
42023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 6562015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Nyssa of Traken has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-10-13 Although Doctor's companion is a new variant of the partner ability, the rules for partner have not otherwise changed. Notably, Time Lord Doctors and cards with Doctor's companion do not interact with cards which have another partner ability.
2023-10-13 An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2023-10-13 Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2023-10-13 If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2023-10-13 If you chose at least one target and all targets are illegal as the ability tries to resolve, the ability is removed from the stack and does nothing. You will not draw any cards in this case.
2023-10-13 If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities.
2023-10-13 Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.
2023-10-13 The Doctor's companion ability allows you to have two commanders if one has the ability and the other is a legendary creature that is a Time Lord Doctor and has no other creature types. Creatures with the changeling ability, for example, can't be a second commander this way.
2023-10-13 You can choose fewer than X targets for Nyssa's reflexive triggered ability. The number of targets doesn't change the number of cards drawn.