Nemata, Primeval Warden
Legendary Creature — Treefolk
Reach
If a creature an opponent controls would die, exile it instead. When you do, create a 1/1 green Saproling creature token.
, Sacrifice a Saproling: Nemata gets +2/+2 until end of turn.
, Sacrifice two Saprolings: Draw a card.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- BG
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Dominaria United Promos
- Price
- $1.08
- EDHREC rank
- #4451
Nemata, Primeval Warden turns every creature death into a Saproling and staples graveyard hate onto a body — the impact is immediate and double-sided. The ceiling is high enough that Slimefoot, the Stowaway decks treat it as a near-auto-include, and the only real cost is a four-mana investment for a 2/4 with no built-in protection.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Slimefoot, the Stowaway
Slimefoot, the Stowaway drains opponents whenever a Saproling dies, so Nemata, Primeval Warden converting every creature death into a fresh Saproling means each opposing creature lost becomes both a blocker and a future drain trigger.
Slimefoot and Squee
Slimefoot and Squee runs a recurring sacrifice loop that constantly feeds the graveyard, and Nemata, Primeval Warden converts each casualty into a Saproling — more fodder for the loop and more bodies to leverage the commander's drain effects.
The Mycotyrant
The Mycotyrant scales on the number of Fungi and Saprolings hitting the graveyard each turn cycle, so Nemata, Primeval Warden stacking the board with Saprolings on every creature death accelerates how large and threatening The Mycotyrant gets.
Ghave, Guru of Spores
Ghave, Guru of Spores spends counters to make tokens and sacrifices tokens to put counters back, and Nemata, Primeval Warden plugs into that loop by replacing each sacrificed token with a new Saproling — fuel that keeps the engine running without needing extra inputs.
Doran, the Siege Tower
Doran, the Siege Tower turns toughness into a combat asset, and Nemata, Primeval Warden's 2/4 statline punches above a typical four-drop in that context while the Saproling generation supplies a steady stream of chump blockers or surprise attackers when Doran is on the field.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Nemata, Primeval Warden actually lives — multiplayer tables generate constant creature deaths from combat, sacrifice synergies, and board wipes, which means its Saproling-generation trigger fires far more than in any 1v1 context. In competitive 60-card formats like Modern or Legacy, a four-mana 2/4 with no immediate board impact and no evasion is simply too slow, and the graveyard hate, while relevant, faces stiff competition from dedicated hate pieces. Pioneer has the same problem: the format's threats are fast enough that Nemata's value accrues too slowly to matter. Oathbreaker is a reasonable home if the planeswalker supports a sacrifice or token theme, but the card's full potential only unlocks in Commander, where the game lasts long enough to cash in on every death trigger.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$1.08 cheap tier
At $1.08, Nemata, Primeval Warden sits firmly in bulk-rare territory, which understates its playability given the 74% inclusion rate in Slimefoot, the Stowaway decks. It's a low-risk pickup — the card does real work in the right shell and costs less than a pack.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.