Nemesis
- For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation).
| Nemesis | |
|---|---|
| Set Information | |
| Set symbol | |
| Themes and mechanics | Spellshapers, Alternative Costs, Laccoliths, Seals, Rebels and Mercenaries |
| Keywords/ability words | Fading |
| Set size | 143 (55 Common, 44 Uncommon, 44 Rare) |
| Expansion code | NEM[2] |
Nemesis is the nineteenth Magic expansion and was released in February 2000 as the second set and first small expansion in the Masques block.
Set details
Nemesis featured 143 cards (55 commons, 44 uncommons and 44 rares). Nemesis's expansion symbol is the axe of Crovax, the main antagonist of the story’s Rath component. [3] The set 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. 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. The set featured Rootwater Thief, Mike Long's invitational card.
Marketing
The cards were sold in 15-card boosters which had artwork from Sliptide Serpent, in four preconstructed theme decks and a fat pack. Nemesis prerelease events were held on February 5, 2000. At these events the prerelease card, a foil Rathi Assassin, was handed out. The set was accompanied by the novel of the same name.
Storyline
The Phyrexian invasion of Dominaria is nearing; the Dark Lord's plans are almost complete. Only the Planeswalker Urza stands in his way. Rath's Evincar Volrath has abandoned his post, sparking a brutal contest among his would-be successors. Phyrexia has chosen Crovax to take Volrath's place, bestowing terrible new powers on the bloodthirsty noble. Crovax must still prove his worth, however, before he can claim the position. Meanwhile, Rath's rebels have united in the name of Eladamri, Lord of Leaves, in order to break free of Phyrexia's tyranny once and for all.
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, Submerge, Tangle Wire and the five seals (for example, Seal of Fire).
Keywords and mechanics
Nemesis introduced the only keyword mechanic of the Masques block, Fading. This keyword ability limits the number of turns a permanent is in play. During each of its controller's upkeeps, that player removes one fade counter from the permanent. If the player cannot remove a fade counter, he or she must sacrifice the permanent.
Beacuse the cards with the ability only remained in play for a few turns, but were typically heavily discounted by players as a result. Many cards with fading also had activated abilities that traded the card's fade counters for various effects. Since fading is a "quick and dirty" form of summoning creatures, the creatures had to be shown as unstable in the art. [4]
Creature types
No new creature types were introduced in this expansion.
Cycles
Nemesis has nine cycles and 6 vertical cycles:
| Cycle name | Description and notes | 
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Spellshapers | Each of these 1/1 creatures have a one-mana activated spellshaper ability (pay mana, {T}, discard a card: get an effect). | Netter en-Dal (Change of Heart) |
Trickster Mage (Twiddle) |
Plague Witch (Afflict) |
Bola Warrior (Panic) |
Harvest Mage (Pulse of Llanowar) |
| Spellshapers | A cycle of rare and uncommons spellshapers. Blue stands out by having a matched pair in this cycle. | Avenger en-Dal (a mix between Exile and Swords to Plowshares) |
Stronghold Biologist (Remove Soul) Stronghold Machinist (Negate) |
Divining Witch (Demonic Consultation) |
Arc Mage (weak Arc Lightning) |
Stampede Driver (weak Overrun) |
| Fading Activated Ability Creatures | Each of this creature with Fading have an activated ability that requires to remove a fade counter from them. White stands out as the only common creature of an otherwise uncommon cycle. | Defender en-Vec | Jolting Merfolk | Phyrexian Prowler | Ancient Hydra | Woodripper |
| Tribal Recruiters | Mirroring 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 to recruit specific tribe from the library. | Seahunter (Merfolks) |
Moggcatcher (Goblins) |
Skyshroud Poacher (Elves) | ||
| 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) |
Seal of Strength (Giant Growth) |
| Parallax Enchantment | Each of these rare global enchantment has Fading 5, and the ability to exile a ressource from the game until it itself leaves the game. Parallax Wave is particularly notable for seeing considerable amount of play as a four-of in the Counter-Rebel standard deck of the time. | Parallax Wave (creatures) |
Parallax Tide (lands) |
Parallax Nexus (cards in hand) |
||
| Common Alternate casting Cost Spells | These common spells can be cast with a non-mana cost if you control a basic land of the corresponding type. The alternate costs vary between colors. Green stands out by having a creature. This cycle and the one bellow are thematically tied to a similar cycle from Mercadian Masques. | Lashknife (tapping an untapped creature) |
Daze (bouncing islands back to your hand) |
Mind Swords (sacrificing creatures) |
Downhill Charge (sacrificing mountains) |
Skyshroud Cutter (having an opponent gain life) |
| Uncommon Alternate casting Cost Spells | These uncommon spells can be cast with a non-mana cost if you control a basic land of the corresponding type. The alternate costs vary between colors. Green stands out by having its spell be common. White stand out by having an additional rare spell, Sivvi's Valor . This cycle and the one above are thematically tied to a similar cycle from Mercadian Masques. | Angelic Favor (tapping an untapped creature) |
Ensnare (bouncing islands back to your hand) |
Dark Triumph (sacrificing creatures) |
Mogg Alarm (sacrificing mountains) |
Reverent Silence (having an opponent gain life) |
| Free spells | If you control a land corresponding to the spell's color and your opponent controls a land corresponding to the spell's ennemy color, you may play each of these spells without paying their mana cost. | Sivvi's Ruse (you control a plain, your opponent controls a mountain) |
Submerge (you control an island, your opponent controls a forest) |
Massacre (you control a swamp, your opponent controls a plain) |
Mogg Salvage (you control a mountain, your opponent controls an island) |
Refreshing Rain (you control a forest, your opponent controls a swamp) |
Vertical cycles
| Cycle name | Description and notes | Common | Uncommon | Rare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Defiant Rebel recruiters | Each of these white rebel has the ability to recruit rebels from the library. | Defiant Falcon | Defiant Vanguard | Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero |
| *Silkenfist creatures | Whenever one of these white creatures becomes blocked, they become untapped. Notably missing a rare creature to complete the cycle. | Silkenfist Fighter | Silkenfist Order | |
| *Rathi Mercenary recruiters | Each of these black mercenary has the ability to recruit mercenaries from the library. | Rathi Intimidator | Rathi Fiend | Rathi Assassin |
| *Laccoliths | When one of these red beasts becomes 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. The aura Laccolith Rig complete the cycle by granting this ability to the enchanted creature. | Laccolith Whelp (1/1) Laccolith Grunt (2/2) |
Laccolith Warrior (3/3) | Laccolith Titan (6/6). |
| *Flowstone spells | Each of these red spells grant the "flowstone abilty" (+1/-1) to creature you control in an increasingly efficient manner. | Flowstone Strike (+1/-1 instant) |
Flowstone Surge (+1/-1 global enchantment) |
Flowstone Slide (+X/-X sorcery). |
| *Calling creatures | Each of these green spells allows you to search your library for up to three cards with the same name as a creature you control, representing the creature calling its fellows. These cards were heralded by Howling Wolf in Mercadian Masques. | Skyshroud Sentinel | Nesting Wurm | Pack Hunt |
Mega-mega cycles
- Legendary land: Kor Haven is the fourth card in this mega-mega cycle, which also includes Teferi's Isle, Volrath's Stronghold, Keldon Necropolis and Yavimaya Hollow.
- Voices: Voice of Truth is the final card in this mega-mega cycle, which also includes Voice of Grace and Voice of Law from Urza's Saga, Voice of Duty and Voice of Reason from Urza's Destiny. These are uncommon white angels, each of which had protection from a different color. Voice of All, who has protection from a color chosen as it enters the battlefield, would be released in Planeshift as an homage to the mega-mega cycle.
Pairs
Nemesis has the following parallel pairs:
- Lawbringer and Lightbringer are both 2/2 Kor Rebels having a mana cost of
with the ability of 
and sacrificing themselves to exile a target red (Lawbringer) / black (Lightbringer) creature from the game. - Stronghold Biologist and Stronghold Machinist are both Spellshapers having a mana cost of with an activated ability (costing ) to counter either creature spells or non-creature spells. Their flavor texts also parallel to each other, as well as the card art being a single image divided between the two cards.
- Netter en-Dal and Bola Warrior are both common 1/1 spellshapers whose activated abilities cost "M, , discard a card from your hand" and cause a target creature to either be unable to attack () or block ().
- Death Pit Offering and Overlaid Terrain are both global enchantment for MM who boost a permanent type by 2 ( gives creatures +2/+2 and cause lands to tap for 2 mana) but require you to sacrifice all permanent of that type when they come into play ( sacrifices all creatures you control, sacrifices all lands you control).
- Rackling and Viseling are both 2/2 artifact creatures having a mana cost of
that deal damage to your opponents based on whether they have less than 3 or more than 4 cards in their hand (respectively), which echoes the old artifacts The Rack and Black Vise. Their flavor texts also parallel to each other.
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.
Theme decks
The pre-constructed theme decks are:
| Theme deck name |
Colors Included | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Breakdown | U | G | |||
| Eruption | W | R | |||
| Mercenaries | B | ||||
| Replicator | B | G | |||