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Fading, and Daze
What this set is
Nemesis is the small second set of the Masques block. Its one new keyword is fading: 17 permanents that enter with counters and run out over a few turns.
Its best-known card is Daze, a counterspell you can cast by returning an Island to your hand, which became a Legacy staple. Skyshroud Claim, which puts two Forests onto the battlefield, is the card Commander players run most, and Terrain Generator and Kor Haven are played too.
Its legends lead tribal decks. Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero searches out Rebels, and Ascendant Evincar pumps other black creatures and shrinks nonblack ones.
Themes
Every mechanic in Nemesis
Fading
The permanent enters with that many fade counters. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove one; if you can't, sacrifice it. A built-in lifespan rather than a cost to keep.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Nemesis is a single code with nothing banned in Legacy, Vintage or Commander.
Not Standard-legal, and not Modern-legal as a set: Modern starts at Eighth Edition (July 2003). A card from here that was reprinted in a later Modern-legal set is Modern-legal in this printing too, because legality follows the card, not the printing. None of its cards is banned in Legacy, Vintage or Commander. Pauper bans Daze, and Premodern bans Parallax Tide. It is also legal in Premodern, the community format built on Fourth Edition through Scourge. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Nemesis
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Nemesis are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Nemesis cards?
In Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Nemesis is too old for Standard, Pioneer or Modern as a set, though any card that was later reprinted in a Modern-legal set is Modern-legal in every printing. It is also legal in Premodern, a community format built on Fourth Edition through Scourge.
Is Daze from Nemesis?
Yes. It is legal in Legacy, Vintage and Commander, and banned in Pauper.
What does fading do?
The permanent enters with fade counters. Remove one at the beginning of each of your upkeeps, and sacrifice it when you can't.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Nemesis released on Feb 14, 2000; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
Playing Nemesis in Commander?
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