Nemesis

Nemesis

 

Theme decks

 

Player's Guide decks

 

For other uses, see Nemesis (disambiguation).

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Nemesis
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	Axe
Design	Mike Elliott (lead) Bill Rose Mark Rosewater
Development	Mike Elliott (lead) Charlie Catena Paul Peterson Teeuwynn Woodruff
Art direction	Dana Knutson & Ron Spears
Release date	February 14, 2000
Plane	Rath
Themes and mechanics	Spellshapers, Alternative Costs, Laccoliths, Seals, Rebels and Mercenaries
Keywords/​ability words	Fading
Set size	143 cards (55 commons, 44 uncommons, 44 rares)
Expansion code	NEM (formerly NE)
Development codename	Euripides
Masques block
Mercadian Masques Nemesis Prophecy
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Battle Royale Nemesis Starter 2000

Nemesis is the nineteenth Magic: The Gathering expansion, released in February 2000 as the second set and first small expansion in the Masques block. It takes place on the plane of Rath as the Phyrexian forces prepare for their invasion of Dominaria. The set introduced the fading mechanic and continued the unnamed Rebel, Mercenary, and Spellshaper mechanics from Mercadian Masques. Notable cards include Daze and Accumulated Knowledge.

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. 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", 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. Nemesis was the final booster set to feature premium foil cards with the original, larger version of the foil shooting star, with a new smaller design debuting on several promos including Rhox from Starter 2000, and in boosters with the release of Prophecy four months later.

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.

Flavor and 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, to break free of Phyrexia's tyranny once and for all.

Novel

Title	Author	Publishing date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Nemesis	Paul B. Thompson	February 2000	Rath, Phyrexia, Dominaria	Tenesi, Avila, Firanu, Dabir, Paax, Abcal-dro, Belbe, Eladamri, Gallan, Ertai, Greven il-Vec, Nasser, Crovax, Kirril, Dorian il-Dal, Davvol (mentioned), Burgess (mentioned), Jova en-Vec, Darsett en-Dal, Sterba en-Dal, Furah en-Kor, Thayer il-Vec, Ulan il-Dal, Shirzod il-Vec, Gunder il-Dal, Valin, Cardamel, Kameko, Darian, Sanyu, Tharvello, Korai, Sivvi en-Vec, Oracle en-Vec, Narmer, Teynel en-Dal, Medd en-Dal, Khalil en-Vec, Shamus en-Dal, Theeno en-Kor, Elcaxi, Kelimenar, Vertino, Valmoral, Langwin en-Dal, Garnan en-Dal, Kireno en-Vec, Vellian en-Vec, Takara en-Dal, Drannik, Volrath

The Duelist comic

Title	Author	Publishing date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
Top Deck issue 4: Nemesis	Scott McGough & Kev Walker	March 2000	Phyrexia, Rath	Crovax, Greven il-Vec, Ertai, Belbe, Eladamri, Oracle en-Vec, Lin Sivvi

Notable cards

• Tangle Wire is a lock piece capable of stifling mana, making it powerful when accelerated. It was once a popular Cube piece.
• Saproling Burst was popular with Fires of Yavimaya, putting 12 hasted power on the board over three or four bodies.
• Parallax Wave was a powerful white aggro tool, being point removal sometimes and board protection other times.
• Blinding Angel was an occasional control finisher, as an aggro deck that couldn't interact would have no more attack steps.
• Some of the color hate cards were extremely punishing as they cost no mana, such as Massacre and Submerge.
• Blastoderm, a creature on rate with Juzam Djinn, was one of the few playable expensive creatures in the era owing to Shroud. It was later remade as Calciderm.
• Accumulated Knowledge used to be the control card advantage of choice, making control mirrors a very complicated experience as it counts both graveyards. Future designs limited the effect to the owner's graveyard.

Banned and restricted cards

• Daze is a free counterspell that can only be cast after the first turn and with a fast expiry date. As Legacy accelerated, paying 1 became more of a tax and became a powerful tempo piece, especially with Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer. It was banned in Pauper in 2019 for its performance in Delver Tempo, around the time more free spells entered the format.
• Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero is one of the pinnacle Rebel payoffs, letting a player pass with counter mana and a guaranteed play. It was banned in Masques Block Constructed.

Keywords and mechanics

Nemesis introduced the only keyword mechanic of the Masques block, Fading. This keyword ability limits the number of turns a permanent can be on the battlefield for. During each permanent with fading's controller's upkeeps, that player must remove one fade counter from that permanent. If they can't, they must sacrifice it.

Because the cards with the ability only remained in play for a few turns, they 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. Since fading is a "quick and dirty" form of summoning creatures, the creatures had to be shown as unstable in the art.

Creature types

No new creature types were introduced in this expansion.

Cycles

Nemesis has nine cycles and 6 vertical cycles:

Cycle name
Common Spellshapers	Netter en-Dal (Change of Heart)	Trickster Mage (Twiddle)	Plague Witch (Afflict)	Bola Warrior (Panic)	Harvest Mage (Pulse of Llanowar)
	Each of these 1/1 creatures has a one-mana activated spellshaper ability (pay mana, {T}, discard a card: get an effect).
Spellshapers	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)
	A cycle of rare and uncommons spellshapers. Blue stands out by having a matched pair in this cycle.
Fading Activated Ability Creatures	Defender en-Vec	Jolting Merfolk	Phyrexian Prowler	Ancient Hydra	Woodripper
	Each of these creatures with Fading has an activated ability that requires removing a fade counter from them. White stands out as the only common creature of an otherwise uncommon cycle.
Tribal Recruiters		Seahunter (Merfolk)		Moggcatcher (Goblins)	Skyshroud Poacher (Elves)
	Mirroring the Rebel and Mercenary mechanics in white and black, the other colors are given cards that are either Mercenaries or Rebels and can recruit specific tribes from the library.
Seals	Seal of Cleansing (Disenchant)	Seal of Removal (Unsummon)	Seal of Doom (Dark Banishing)	Seal of Fire (Shock)	Seal of Strength (Giant Growth)
	Each of these common enchantments can be sacrificed to mimic the effect of a certain common instant.
Parallax Enchantment	Parallax Wave (creatures)	Parallax Tide (lands)	Parallax Nexus (cards in hand)
	Each of these rare global enchantments has Fading 5, and the ability to exile a resource from the game until it leaves the game. Parallax Wave is particularly notable for seeing a considerable amount of play as a four-of in the Counter-Rebel standard deck of the time.
Common Alternate casting Cost Spells	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)
	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 below are thematically tied to a similar cycle from Mercadian Masques.
Uncommon Alternate casting Cost Spells	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)
	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 stands 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.
Free spells	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)
	If you control a land corresponding to the spell's color and your opponent controls a land corresponding to the spell's enemy color, you may play each of these spells without paying their mana cost.

Vertical cycles

Cycle name
Defiant Rebel recruiters	Defiant Falcon	Defiant Vanguard	Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
	Each of these white rebel can recruit rebels from the library.
Silkenfist creatures	Silkenfist Fighter	Silkenfist Order
	Whenever one of these white creatures becomes blocked, they become untapped. Notably missing a rare creature to complete the cycle.
Rathi Mercenary recruiters	Rathi Intimidator	Rathi Fiend	Rathi Assassin
	Each of these black mercenary can recruit mercenaries from the library.
Laccoliths	Laccolith Whelp (1/1) Laccolith Grunt (2/2)	Laccolith Warrior (3/3)	Laccolith Titan (6/6)
	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 this turn. The aura Laccolith Rig completes the cycle by granting this ability to the enchanted creature.
Flowstone spells	Flowstone Strike (+1/-1 instant)	Flowstone Surge (+1/-1 global enchantment)	Flowstone Slide (+X/-X sorcery)
	Each of these red spells grants the "flowstone ability" (+1/-1) to a creature you control in an increasingly efficient manner.
Calling creatures	Skyshroud Sentinel	Nesting Wurm	Pack Hunt
	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.

Mega-mega cycles

Cycle name
Legendary lands	Kor Haven (Nemesis)	Teferi's Isle (Mirage)	Volrath's Stronghold (Stronghold)	Keldon Necropolis (Invasion)	Yavimaya Hollow (Urza's Destiny)
	Kor Haven is the fourth card in this mega-mega cycle of lands representing notable locations from the Weatherlight Saga storyline.
Voices	Voice of Truth (Nemesis)	Voice of Reason (Urza's Destiny)	Voice of Grace (Urza's Saga)	Voice of Law (Urza's Saga)	Voice of Duty (Urza's Destiny)
	Voice of Truth is the final card in this mega-mega cycle. These are uncommon white 2/2 Angels that have a mana cost of and have 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 three matching pairs and two mirrored pairs:

Matching pairs

Matching Pairs		Description
Lawbringer ()	Lightbringer ()	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 ()	Stronghold Machinist ()	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.
Rackling ()	Viseling ()	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 are also parallel to each other.

Mirrored pairs

Mirrored Pairs		Description
Netter en-Dal ()	Bola Warrior ()	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 ()	Overlaid Terrain ()	Enchantments 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).

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
Mercenaries	–	–	B	–	–
Replicator	–	–	B	–	G
Eruption	W	–	–	R	–
Breakdown	–	U	–	–	G

External links

• Nemesis product information page — Wizards of the Coast