Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver magic the gathering card art
Hour of Devastation (hou)
#205mythic English Foil

Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver
5
islandswampmountain

Legendary Planeswalker — Bolas

+3: Each opponent loses 3 life unless that player sacrifices a nonland permanent of their choice or discards a card.

−3: Destroy target creature. Draw a card.

−11: Nicol Bolas deals 7 damage to each opponent. You draw seven cards.

Illustrated by Svetlin Velinov
Links
Legalities
Not Legal
standard
Not Legal
historic
Legal
pioneer
Legal
Modern
Legal
Legacy
Not Legal
pauper
Legal
vintage
Legal
Commander
Not Legal
brawl
Not Legal
alchemy
Rulings
While resolving Nicol Bolas's first ability, your opponent chooses a card to be discarded without revealing it, chooses a nonland permanent to be sacrificed, or chooses to do neither. Then that player discards that card, sacrifices that permanent, or loses 3 life. Your opponent can always choose to lose 3 life, even if they have cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.
2017-07-14wotc
In a multiplayer game, each opponent in turn order makes their choice for Nicol Bolas's first ability, then all of the actions occur simultaneously. Opponents will know choices made by earlier opponents when making their choices, although a card chosen to be discarded this way isn't revealed until it's discarded.
2017-07-14wotc
If the target of Nicol Bolas's second ability becomes illegal, the ability doesn't resolve and you won't draw a card. If that target is legal but can't be destroyed, most likely because it has indestructible, you still draw a card.
2017-07-14wotc
If Nicol Bolas's third ability causes each opponent to have 0 or less life, but it also causes you to try to draw more cards than you have in your library, the game ends in a draw.
2017-07-14wotc


Alternate Printings

Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver magic the gathering card art
Normal: N/A | Foil: $4.88





Dumb Dragon Logo
Sign up for exclusive updates, community events, subscriber-only deals, and a 10% off coupon.

© 2025 Dumb Dragon LLC. All rights reserved.