Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Highlander Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Planechase Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

Planeswalker — Bolas

+3: Destroy target noncreature permanent.

-2: Gain control of target creature.

-9: Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker deals 7 damage to target player or planeswalker. That player or that planeswalker's controller discards seven cards, then sacrifices seven permanents.

jdogz32 on

7 months ago

As your deck is based around Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker I'd recommend adding 4 of him.

Secondly I'd take out Ludevic's Test Subject  Flip he's just to slow. I tried to make him work and even with training grounds he's a large Mana dump and your opponent will just wait until he's either flipped or close to just remove him.

Thirdly, you need more draw spells. Control decks have some form of draw capabilities and your deck has 0. I'd recommend Opt Serum Visions or Expressive Iteration for starters.

Fourth The Scarab God is a good card but I'd either find a way to break his abilities or take him out. As of right now he's a large Mana dump and I'm not seeing any game enders.

Lastly I'd take out Slavering Nulls the odds that a 2/1 creature survives and makes a hit without any help is almost 0. I'd go with something more guaranteed liked Thoughtseize Duress or Inquisition of Kozilek. Hope this helps.

TheOfficialCreator on Card Analysis #1 - Dreadhorde …

1 year ago

Hello, everyone!

I thought I would try my hand at creating an article series centering around the beauty of different card designs, as each card truly is unique in its own way, and I wanted to make my appreciation of that into a tangible form so that everyone could experience it.

A general outline of how this article series will go is this: a basic introduction (similar to what you’re reading now), cost versus effect, the flavor of the card, how the card interacts with its limited environment, cards that are similar to it and a short little blurb on what makes them different, a custom card inspired by the analyzed card and a short explanation of the process used to create it, the legacy of the card, and finally, a conclusion to round it all out.

That being said, let’s begin!


The card of today’s analysis is Dreadhorde Invasion, a card I chose to kick off the series with not only because War of the Spark is my favorite set, but also because it will give us a good platform to walk through the steps of this article series.

Dreadhorde Invasion is an oft-overlooked card that provides its user with a Zombie Army (a mechanic introduced and incredibly localized to War of the Spark, excluding a few exceptions such as Lazotep Chancellor) at the cost of a single life each turn. Obviously this adds up quickly, and the Army that is produced is rather clunky, as it is easier to remove (a la Fading Hope), non-evasive, and rather small even in its beginning stages. For it gives you a 1/1 creature on turn 3. That’s not a great payoff, especially for more advanced formats.

This is where the second clause comes in. If your Army can make it to six power, then Dreadhorde Invasion rewards you handsomely with an added lifelink, allowing you to gain back all that lost life and quickly breaking symmetry with your life versus your opponents. It’s not incredibly cost-effective (heck, a Forced Adaptation is more cost-effective in general), but it’s very fun to play with and can provide a lot more when juxtaposed with the rest of the game. But we’ll get into that later.


The flavor of Dreadhorde Invasion is perhaps my favorite part of the card. The Eternals are probably one of the most unique MTG villains (I mean, come on, they’re blue metal zombies that can cross between worlds and steal planeswalker sparks), and definitely one of my personal favorites. The idea of Dreadhorde Invasion is that Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker is executing his plan to become Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God, invading the plane of Ravnica with his army of Eternals empowered by The Elderspell in order to steal the sparks of the planeswalkers, trapped there by The Immortal Sun and invited there by the Interplanar Beacon. The invasion is eventually quelled by a joint effort by Liliana, Dreadhorde General, Gideon Blackblade, Ugin, the Ineffable, God-Eternal Oketra, and God-Eternal Bontu, with the defeat of Bolas wrapped up in the brilliant card Despark. Dreadhorde Invasion more than anything flavor-wise represents the whole of War of the Spark, perhaps better than any other individual card in the set (except maybe Enter the God-Eternals). And that is why I love it so much; it is a testament to my favorite set of all time.


As far as Dreadhorde Invasion’s performance in Limited goes, I must say that it has quite an unitive feel to how it operates in multiple deck strategies, similar to how it unites the flavor of the set. It has the keyword amass on it, which is the new ability introduced in the set, and which synergizes well with proliferate. Zombie Armies themselves receive gracious tribal support in the form of Gleaming Overseer, Eternal Skylord, Widespread Brutality, and the like. Beyond this fairly obvious synergy, however, there are many more options for how Dreadhorde Invasion can function in this set. For example, the creation of a creature every turn lends itself very well to sacrifice strategies revolving around Spark Reaper, Ahn-Crop Invader, and Spark Harvest, or even Liliana, Dreadhorde General and God-Eternal Bontu. In addition, the lifelink that can be attained on later turns goes well with Ajani's Pridemate and fits into a subtheme of life gain that the set has.


Dreadhorde Invasion-style effects are somewhat rare, but there is precedence for their existence. The most obvious example is Bitterblossom, an enchantment well-known for its splashes in Modern and which creates small flying threats every turn at the cost of some life. However, there is also Ophiomancer and Endless Ranks of the Dead, or more recently Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia. The thing that sets Dreadhorde Invasion apart from these other cards is its unique combination of losing life and gaining life alongside its ability to make a token larger versus just creating a new token.


Here is a custom card that I made that was inspired by Dreadhorde Invasion.

enter image description here

The process I went through to design this card went something like this.

1) Look at Dreadhorde Invasion and think about what the card is wanting you to do. What's the general theme of the card?

2) Build a general shell around the idea of losing life to gain life, pulling in inspiration from cards like Bloodghast.

3) Adding a tribal element to make it feel like a Dreadhorde card.

4) Adding a fitting name. "Vowmage" gives a feel of some kind of sacrifice to fufill an obligation, especially to a being like Bolas.

5) Adding flavor text that is both quippy and fits the situation. In this case, I chose to show who the Vowmage's vow is to.

6) Finding some art from DeviantArt that fit the theme. This art is from user Ryushadow, and is the only Eternal art I could find.


Dreadhorde Invasion, like most of its amass kin, is largely forgotten especially in competitive play where it is not a contending strategy. Zombie Armies are incredibly weak to removal and usually aren’t very cost-effective, so their weakness of being a single lone creature that just gets bigger and can be chump-blocked can’t really be ignored. War of the Spark as a whole is a largely forgotten story arc, and despite its misgivings it’s still a shame. Dreadhorde Invasion does not truly have a legacy, though it was reprinted in the Midnight Hunt commander set as a part of Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver’s commander deck. Hopefully, one day, we will see Amass return in a future set with greater support so that Dreadhorde Invasion may one day be viable.


Alright, everyone! That is the end of my article for today. Please let me know what worked for you and what didn’t so that I can sculpt this new article series to your feedback!

Speaking of user feedback, I would like to have every tenth card be voted upon by the community. If you want to submit an idea for what card we will go over, just let me know in your comment. The comment with the highest number of upvotes will have their card in the tenth article of the series.

Thank you all for the wonderful community we’ve made together! See you soon.

Stardragon on 3 color Generic Planeswalkers for …

1 year ago

wallisface First of all txs for taking your time to look at all of them. 2nd I'm not missing Grixis so much as I skipped it since grixis has Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver and Nicol Bolas, the Arisen  Flip as solid generic grixis planeswalkers so I didn't feel the need to make another one

As for you other comments lets take one step at a time First Ceara how is not doing temur things?

I disagree with on her first ability it fine there are plenty of walkers who's + ability makes tokens so there should be no problem there as it helps protect her and give a body. As for her second I have to agree that it should be reworked. And I'll fix her last abilities wording problem

On to Chichan I may cut it down to Scry 3 but so what if it's not very red he has two other colors in his identity and every ability needs to mach each color look at Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver first ability it doesn't match blue, or look at Angrath, the Flame-Chained's last ability it fully a black ability or Dakkon, Shadow Slayer's full kit his +1 isn't white, his second ability isn't either blue nor black and his last ability is almost entirely blue. Long story short not every ability need to match every color of the walkers colors. So other than being too much it fine

As for Chichan's second ability how is it unnecessarily wordy? I tells you cast spells for free by discarding three card from your hand (maybe will cut that to two)and to make more balanced you can play two more spells the turn you use this effect so it doesn't turn into a more clunky Omniscience. The same as the argument before even if it anti white so what? And this effect isn't as anti-white as you think, while not common there are cards like Idol of Endurance,Patrician's Scorn, Flawless Maneuver, Sivvi's Ruse, Sram's Expertise and to a lesser extent Sunforger and each has a different way to make spells free, add red and blue that do have discard for effect an its fine the only reason i see no black to this effect (though all colors have some free spells)so again it fine may reword it a bit but I don't think I need to change the effect

For his third effect I agree it's underwhelming/powered and will give it a buff

For Gwisin Noh- I admit I'm not overly to happy with her but abzan has so many options it was one of the hardest things for me to make generic any ideas for new kit is welcome for now I take you ideas and rework them but don't expect to much form this one

Next is Kuva- since it fine not much to say I don't get the read from a precon deck I fail to see if that a bad thing or not?

Nimthall time ok so he may be a little overpriced i was worried that his abilities were too powerful as a kit so made him cost more to balance him out

i feel his 1st is fine i mean there are zombie token out there other than just vanilla 2/2 again not common (and not counting embalm or eternalize or decayed) but there are a few like Corpse Cobble, Soul Separator or hun that it just those two that make unqie zombie tokens really? well hun i guess I'll just make them 2/2s but feel like 1 token is an under powered effect

i saw you had no problem with his second ability so I'll just move on to the third

His third ability yeah let just is rough and need rewording now that im reading also, as for the enchantment grabbing thing it was to help justify the mana cost

Shataj Sar Spotlight time

I think your right on making only one token here and taking out horsemenship and adding vigliance or maybe first stike instead will keep the haste.

as for her last ability i like the exile part but the life gain can go

For Sibrel- Other than the either you don't seem to mind the kit overall and i don't know why the "either" is that TBH will take that out

For Vull- What are your Jund motifs i wonder

Anyway will reword his first ability but he's a battle hungry blood thirsty barbarian do you really think he not going to attack? I'll be keep his effect the same

For his second effect to tell you the truth I couldn't decide which one to choose so did both still can't decide which one would fit better since they're both jund abilities

I see you no problems with his last effect

Finally Zendik's time to shine

I don't what to say really he's not favorite thats for sure

His first ability is heavily based off Soulfire Grand Master ability only for artifacts hell was think of making this an enchantment like effect like the WoS walkers had but it also work well his second and third abilities as a whole

his second is maybe too powerful will rework it

His third ability is worded poorly but I truly don't know how to this one, and for control decks this would be a great win con to flood your opponents after you gather enough artifacts (maybe I should add enchants on to this effect as well)

Also remember to look at the kit as whole and just individual abilities, since an ability may look weak by itself but it may work very well with the other abilities together Zendik is great example of this

legendofa on When did you start playing, …

2 years ago

I started playing with the first Portal, kinda. That was the first set I got cards from. I spent the next few years off and on, getting bits and pieces of collections from people who were leaving the game or offloading bulk commons and uncommons. (I managed to get both Pardic Firecat and Diligent Farmhand and had no idea what Burst meant. I thought it was some action, like untapping, that the rules later dropped.) I started digging in a little deeper in Time Spiral block, then really jumped in with Alara. Since then, I've been either in deep or sitting out.

Favorite block is Alara. It was the one that I really got in with (if you missed that two sentences ago). I usually prefer multicolor builds to monocolor builds, and I wasn't in for most of Apocalypse and Ravnica. It has a unique and deep setting insert Return to Alara screed here. And the cards are just cool: Maelstrom Archangel, Godsire (Secretly pandering to the OP? Never!), Progenitus, Wall of Denial, Conflux, Sphinx of the Steel Wind, Lich Lord of Unx... Add in stuff like Ad Nauseam, the Cascade mechanic, and Noble Hierarch, and the introductions of Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker, Sarkhan Vol, Tezzeret the Seeker, and Elspeth, Knight-Errant, and it had something for everyone. Planeswalkers were still brand new, and colored artifacts were a shocking and semi-controversial twist.

I don't like the one-set model. I understand that the three-set model and even two-set model had general dropoff after the first set, but the current model is too much, too fast. The mechanics are underdeveloped and unsupported. (In agreement with "it's always been that way" doesn't make it a good thing. I'm still waiting for Provoke to come back.) The planes are either shallow, limited in scope, or "open for exploration when we return" which may or may not happen.

The biggest and most disappointing change for me, though, is the official website. It used to have multiple articles a week: Making Magic, Savor the Flavor, From the Lab, Building on a Budget, Arcana, Card of the Day, theme weeks, it was all fun. Now, it's a couple of third-party articles, occasional short stories for the lore, and a bunch of promotion and self-advertising.

With my "it was better in my day" out of the way, I think the fundamentals of the game are in good shape. Aside from some cosmetic differences and minor rules updates, it's still the same game I was playing fifteen years ago, and there's a lot to be said for that. Sure, there's been some power and complexity creep, but aside from a couple of high-profile missteps that aren't totally without precedent (Urza block -> Mirrodin Affinity -> Zendikar Caw-Blade -> Throne of Eldraine/Ikoria), it's been well controlled compared to other popular TCGs. A deck from five, ten, twenty years ago can still find a home at least at the casual tables.

Metroplex_Grimlock on Quintessons 2

2 years ago

Quintessa Karona, False God

Quintesson Judge Sliver Overlord

Quintesson Alpha Sliver Hivelord

Sharkticons Shark Typhoon, Voracious Greatshark, Spined Megalodon Pouncing Shoreshark

Allicons every Crocodile in the deck, since Wotc doesn't have Alligators

Baliffs Thran Golem, Moraug, Fury of Akoum

Quintesson Executioner Gigan

Quintesson Prosecutor Cephalid Constable

*Kup Barrin, Tolarian Archmage

*Bumblebee Arvad the Cursed

Optimus Prime Tajic, Blade of the Legion

Hot Rod Crosis's Attendant

Megatron/Galvatron Master of Cruelties

Grimlock(AoE/TLK) Traxos, Scourge of Kroog

Grimlock(G1) himself/ The Tarrasque / Thrasta, Tempest's Roar ( the last 2 are in the sideboard)

Snarl Kalamax, the Stormsire

Slag/Slug Pyroceratops

Swoop Kinjalli's Sunwing

Sludge Cloudpiercer

Scorn Etali, Primal Storm

Unicorn Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

Cybertron. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

The Ark The Weatherlight

Metroplex_Grimlock on Quintessons 2

2 years ago

Quintessa Karona, False God

Quintesson Judge Sliver Overlord

Quintesson Alpha Sliver Hivelord

Sharkticons Shark Typhoon, Voracious Greatshark, Spined Megalodon Pouncing Shoreshark

Allicons every Crocodile in the deck, since Wotc doesn't have Alligators

Baliffs Thran Golem, Moraug, Fury of Akoum

Quintesson Executioner Gigan

Quintesson Prosecutor Cephalid Constable

*Kup Barrin, Tolarian Archmage

*Bumblebee Arvad the Cursed

Optimus Prime Tajic, Blade of the Legion

Hot Rod Crosis's Attendant

Megatron/Galvatron Master of Cruelties

Grimlock(AoE/TLK) Traxos, Scourge of Kroog

Grimlock(G1) himself/ The Tarrasque / Thrasta, Tempest's Roar ( the last 2 are in the sideboard)

Snarl Kalamax, the Stormsire

Slag/Slug Pyroceratops

Swoop Kinjalli's Sunwing

Sludge Cloudpiercer

Scorn Etali, Primal Storm

Unicorn Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

Cybertron. Ugin, the Spirit Dragon (no he doesn't get a creature and I'll explain why in the comments)

The Ark The Weatherlight

griffstick on Best Rule 0 Commander

2 years ago

Ugin and karn does sound spicy. Or Ugin, the Spirit Dragon and Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker for flavor purposes

griffstick on Best Rule 0 Commander

2 years ago

Og Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker would be cool and strong too

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