Nicol Bolas, the Ravager // Nicol Bolas, the Arisen
Color Identity
Details
Mana Value
4
Popularity
#837
of 3,381 commanders · via EDHREC
Card Text
Legendary Creature — Elder Dragon // Legendary Planeswalker — Bolas
Flying
When Nicol Bolas enters, each opponent discards a card.
{4}{U}{B}{R}: Exile Nicol Bolas, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control. Activate only as a sorcery.
//
+2: Draw two cards.
−3: Nicol Bolas deals 10 damage to target creature or planeswalker.
−4: Put target creature or planeswalker card from a graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
−12: Exile all but the bottom card of target player's library.
4/4
Playstyle
Control · Late-game · Heavy interaction · Alternate win-cons
- Aggression
- 2 of 5
- Speed
- 2 of 5
- Interaction
- 4 of 5
- Combat
- 2 of 5
- Engine
- 3 of 5
- Complexity
- 4 of 5
Strategy Guides
Control Strategy Guide
Control decks are for players who enjoy deciding which threats matter, spending answers carefully, and winning after the table has slowed down. This strategy wants to stabilize the game, using control commanders, counterspells, removal, sweepers, and card-draw engines, to win through a protected finisher, planeswalker, combo finish, or long-term card advantage. Unlike Stax, Control answers threats on the stack or battlefield instead of locking everyone out of resources. The best control decks EDH players build accept that multiplayer control cannot counter everything, so they lean on sweepers and engines that trade across several opponents.
Learn more about control strategies
Reanimator Strategy Guide
Reanimator decks are for players who want to turn the graveyard into a shortcut for creatures that should cost far more mana. This strategy wants to load its own graveyard with high-impact targets, using discard, self-mill, and Entomb-style tutors, to win by casting cheap reanimation spells that cheat creatures into play ahead of schedule. Unlike Graveyard value decks, Reanimator is less about recurring small resources every turn, and unlike Mill it is not trying to empty libraries as the primary weapon. The best reanimator commanders and graveyard commanders help discard threats, return them, or convert each reanimated creature into immediate pressure.
Learn more about reanimator strategies
Combo Strategy Guide
Combo decks are for players who enjoy finding a narrow line, protecting it, and ending the game with specific cards working together. This strategy wants to assemble combo commanders, tutors, draw, and compact two-card or three-card packages, using infinite combos or deterministic loops, to win in one decisive moment. Unlike Spellslinger it is not paid for every spell cast, unlike Storm it does not need a long chain turn, and unlike Big Mana it does not rely on casting one enormous payoff. The best combo decks EDH players build balance speed with enough interaction to survive the table's disruption.
Learn more about combo strategies
Appears in These Collections
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