Nimble
| Nimble | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Evasion |
| Introduced |
Legends (mechanic) Mystery Booster 2 (keyword) |
| Last used | Mystery Booster 2 |
| Reminder Text | Nimble (This creature can't be blocked by creatures with power 3 or greater.) |
| Statistics |
1 card  100% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Nimble" | |
Nimble is an evasion ability first introduced in Legends and officially keyworded on a Mystery Booster 2 test card.
Description
A creature with the keyword nimble can't be blocked by any creature with a power of 3 or greater. Nimble is a variation on the Skulk mechanic but doesn't scale as the creature gets larger or smaller in power.
History
The ability has been present since Legends on Amrou Kithkin, but it is rarely used. The next card to use the mechanic was Kithkin Armor in Weatherlight a year later before a sixteen-year hiatus. Daxos of Meletis would bring the mechanic back as a one-off, as would Beloved Princess six years later. Across the period of Omenpath Arc set releases, four cards were printed with the mechanic (Squeak By; Exit Specialist; Delney, Streetwise Lookout; and Lydia Frye). These represented a doubling of the number of cards with the ability.
During the design of Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths, it was proposed to keyword the mechanic with the possibility of introducing it as an evergreen keyword for 
. When introduced in Vision design its playtest name was "Sneaky". Ultimately Set design decided against including it so they could bring down the set's complexity and focus on mechanics players knew well.[1]
As a keyword, the mechanic finally made its debut on the Mystery Booster 2 test card Brigid, Who's Seen Some Stuff.
There are variants of the mechanic that use power 2 or greater and power 4 or greater.
Examples
Example
Brigid, Who's Seen Some Stuff 
Legendary Creature — Kithkin Archer
Vigilance
Nimble (This creature can't be blocked by creatures with power 3 or greater.)
Kithkin you control have thoughtweft. (A creature with thoughtweft has all printed keyword abilities of other creatures you control with thoughtweft.)
3/3
Rulings
- Once a creature with nimble has been blocked, increasing the blocking creature's power to 3 or greater won't cause that creature to become unblocked.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 13, 2020). "A Twinkle in Someone's Ikoria". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Eric Levine (September 20, 2024). "Mystery Booster 2 Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.