Inkmoth NexusHow it works & interactions with other cards

Transformation and Types

When you pay one generic mana, Inkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Phyrexian Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying and infect until the end of the turn. Crucially, it remains a land during this transformation. This means it can be affected by anything that targets creatures, artifacts, or lands, providing both utility and vulnerability. The flying keyword ensures it can soar over blockers, while infect changes how it deals damage entirely.

The Timing of Infect

The resolution of the transformation happens step by step. Once the ability resolves, the land gains its new characteristics. Because it has infect, any damage it deals to a creature results in that many -1/-1 counters being placed on it, and damage to a player results in poison counters rather than a loss of life. If a player reaches ten poison counters, they lose the game immediately.

Summoning Sickness Rules

A common mistake involves the timing of when this land is played. If you play Inkmoth Nexus and immediately activate its ability to turn it into a creature, it will be affected by 'summoning sickness.' Unless you have controlled the permanent since the start of your most recent turn, it cannot attack or be tapped for mana once it is a creature. However, if it remains a non-creature land, you can tap it for mana the same turn it enters the battlefield.

Strategic Deployment

The best time to activate Inkmoth Nexus is usually after your opponent has exhausted their sorcery-speed removal. Since it reverts to being just a land at the end of every turn, it avoids many board wipes that only hit creatures. In a deck utilizing mana fixers like Command Tower or Exotic Orchard, you can ensure you always have the generic mana available to threaten a poison victory.

Interaction examples

The Poison Clock

Poison Counter

You activate Inkmoth Nexus and attack an open opponent. When the land deals 1 damage, the player receives one Poison Counter instead of losing life. This puts them one step closer to the ten counters required to lose the game.

Mana Management

Command Tower

If you have Command Tower on the battlefield, you can tap it to produce the one generic mana required to activate Inkmoth Nexus. This allows you to keep Inkmoth Nexus untapped so that once it becomes a creature, it is ready to attack, provided you have controlled the Nexus since the beginning of your turn.

Opponent's Mana Utilization

Exotic Orchard

If your opponent controls an Inkmoth Nexus, your Exotic Orchard can tap for colorless mana because Inkmoth Nexus can produce colorless mana. You can then use that mana to activate your own Inkmoth Nexus, turning it into a blocker to stop their incoming infect damage.