Screaming Nemesis 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
Haste Whenever this creature is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to any other target. If a player is dealt damage this way, they can't gain life for the rest of the game.
Complete guide
Screaming Nemesis is a relentless Spirit that ensures your opponents feel every bit of pain directed its way. Not only does it redirect damage, but it also leaves a permanent mark that prevents opponents from recovering their health. Once this creature strikes a player, the window for life gain is slammed shut for the remainder of the match.
Redirecting the Pain
Screaming Nemesis features a powerful triggered ability that triggers whenever it is dealt damage. Whether it is dealt damage in combat or by a spell, it deals that exact amount of damage to any other target. If you choose a player as the target for this redirected damage, a special replacement effect is applied to them for the rest of the game: they simply cannot gain life.
Permanent Life Gain Denial
The life gain restriction is not tied to Screaming Nemesis remaining on the battlefield. Once the ability resolves and deals damage to a player, the effect is locked in. Even if the player uses a spell that says they gain life, that part of the spell will do nothing, though other effects of the spell will still occur. Additionally, effects that would set a life total to a higher number are ignored.
Resolution and Combat
When Screaming Nemesis is dealt damage, the ability goes on the stack. You choose your target at this time. If the damage dealt to Screaming Nemesis was lethal, it will die, but the ability still resolves using the amount of damage it was dealt before leaving the battlefield. If multiple creatures block it, the total damage is summed up for one single trigger.
Strategic Timing
Because Screaming Nemesis has Haste, it can immediately threaten an opponent or force an awkward block. It is best used against decks that rely on stabilizing their life total. By forcing a trade or targeting it with your own damage spells, you can permanently shut down an opponent's healing strategy early in the game.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming Spirit and Screaming Nemesis takes 3 damage, its ability triggers twice. You can target two different creatures, or a creature and a player, to deal 3 damage to each. If both triggers target the same player, the first one deals damage and applies the life gain restriction; the second simply deals more damage.
Solemn SimulacrumIf an opponent attacks you with a Solemn Simulacrum and you block with Screaming Nemesis, the Nemesis is dealt 2 damage. You can then choose to deal 2 damage to any other target. If you choose the opponent, they are dealt 2 damage and lose the ability to gain life for the rest of the game.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Screaming Nemesis
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If lethal damage is dealt to Screaming Nemesis, its last ability still triggers.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If Screaming Nemesis is dealt damage by multiple sources at once, such as by two creatures blocking it, its last ability triggers once and one target is dealt that much damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Once Screaming Nemesis's last ability causes it to deal damage to a player, that player won't be able to gain life for the rest of the game. It doesn't matter if Screaming Nemesis remains on the battlefield or not.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Spells and abilities that cause a player affected by Screaming Nemesis's last ability to gain life still resolve. That player won't gain life, but any other effects of that spell or ability will happen.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect says to set a player's life total to a number that's higher than their current life total while they're affected by Screaming Nemesis's last ability, their life total won't change.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Dawnsire, Sunstar Dreadnought + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Declare any creature as an attacker. Dawnsire triggers, dealing 100 damage to Screaming Nemesis.
- 2Screaming Nemesis triggers, dealing 100 damage to any other target
Guilty Conscience + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Cause Screaming Nemesis to take damage by any method.
- 2Screaming Nemesis triggers, dealing damage to an opponent.
- 3Guilty Conscience triggers, dealing damage to Screaming Nemesis.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Fire Covenant + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Cast Fire Covenant by
and paying an amount of life equal to an opponent's life total, dealing that much damage to Screaming Nemesis. - 2Screaming Nemesis triggers, dealing that much damage to the opponent.
Repercussion + Pariah + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Deal damage to Screaming Nemesis.
- 2Screaming Nemesis and Repercussion trigger.
- 3Resolve the Screaming Nemesis trigger, dealing damage to an applicable target.
- 4Resolve the Repercussion trigger, dealing damage to Screaming Nemesis instead of you due to Pariah.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Repercussion + Pariah's Shield + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Deal damage to Screaming Nemesis.
- 2Screaming Nemesis and Repercussion trigger.
- 3Resolve the Screaming Nemesis trigger, dealing damage to an applicable target.
- 4Resolve the Repercussion trigger, dealing damage to Screaming Nemesis instead of you due to Pariah's Shield.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Volcano Hellion + Pariah + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Cast Volcano Hellion by paying
. - 2When Volcano Hellion enters, it triggers, dealing an arbitarily large amount of damage to you and a creature. The damage that would be dealt to you is dealt to Screaming Nemesis instead due to Pariah.
- 3Screaming Nemesis triggers, dealing an arbitrarily large amount of damage to an applicable target.
Red Hulk + Heroic Intervention + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Give Red Hulk and Screaming Nemesis indestructible using Heroic Intervention.
- 2Deal damage to Red Hulk.
- 3Red Hulk triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it and dealing damage to Screaming Nemesis.
- 4Screaming Nemesis triggers, dealing damage to Red Hulk.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Volcano Hellion + Pariah's Shield + Screaming Nemesis
- 1Cast Volcano Hellion by paying .
- 2When Volcano Hellion enters, it triggers, dealing an arbitarily large amount of damage to you and a creature. The damage that would be dealt to you is dealt to Screaming Nemesis instead due to Pariah's Shield.
- 3Screaming Nemesis triggers, dealing an arbitrarily large amount of damage to an applicable target.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Screaming Nemesis
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.