Nevermore is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
As this enchantment enters, choose a nonland card name. Spells with the chosen name can't be cast.
Complete guide
Nevermore is a powerful white enchantment that allows you to preemptively shut down your opponent's most dangerous threats. By naming a card as it enters the battlefield, you can prevent that spell from ever being cast as long as Nevermore remains in play.
Proactive Prevention
Nevermore uses a replacement effect that occurs 'as' it enters the battlefield, not a triggered ability. This means you choose the card name while Nevermore is resolving. Because this doesn't use the stack, your opponents cannot wait to see what name you choose and then try to cast that spell in response; by the time they know the name, the restriction is already active.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, you cast Nevermore and wait for it to resolve. As it enters the battlefield, you choose the name of any nonland card. Once the choice is made, the static ability immediately takes effect. Any spell with that exact name currently in a player's hand, library, or graveyard cannot be moved to the stack via the 'cast' action. However, if the spell was already on the stack before Nevermore resolved, it will finish resolving normally.
Common Pitfalls
It is important to remember that Nevermore only stops the 'casting' of spells. It does not stop triggered abilities, activated abilities, or effects that put a card directly onto the battlefield without casting it. Furthermore, you cannot name land cards, so you cannot use this to stop an opponent from playing their lands.
When to Play Nevermore
This card is best used when you are aware of your opponent's win condition or a specific card that ruins your strategy. In formats like Commander, naming a specific Commander can effectively lock a deck out of its primary synergy until they find an enchantment removal spell.
Interaction examples
Smothering TitheIf you know your opponent relies on Smothering Tithe to generate mana, you can cast Nevermore and name 'Smothering Tithe'. If Nevermore is on the battlefield, your opponent cannot cast Smothering Tithe, even if they have the mana available. However, if Smothering Tithe is already on the battlefield, Nevermore will not remove it or stop its triggered ability.
Ghostly PrisonIf your aggressive deck is hindered by defensive enchantments, you can name 'Ghostly Prison' with Nevermore. This ensures that no additional copies of Ghostly Prison can be cast, though any copy already in play will still require you to pay {2} per attacking creature.
When facing modal double-faced cards, you must choose one specific face to name. If you name the front face, your opponent is still permitted to cast the back face if it is a valid spell. Note that you can never cast the back face of a transforming double-faced card, so naming the front face of those cards effectively stops the entire card.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Nevermore
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If you name one of the faces of a modal double-faced card, players may still play the face you didn't name. (Players can never cast the back face of a transforming double-faced card)
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
No one can cast spells or activate abilities between the time a card is named and the time that Nevermore's ability starts to work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Spells with the chosen name that somehow happen to already be on the stack when Nevermore enters are not affected by Nevermore's ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Although the named card can't be cast, it can still be put onto the battlefield by a spell or ability (if it's a permanent card).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
You can name either half of a split card, but not both. If you do so, that half (and both halves, if the split card has fuse) can't be cast. The other half is unaffected.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
The named card can be cast again once Nevermore leaves the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Nevermore
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.