Nettling Imp
Creature — Imp
: Choose target non-Wall creature the active player has controlled continuously since the beginning of the turn. That creature attacks this turn if able. Destroy it at the beginning of the next end step if it didn't attack this turn. Activate only during an opponent's turn, before attackers are declared.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- 30th Anniversary Edition
- Price
- $10.00
- EDHREC rank
- #23867
Nettling Imp forces a non-Wall creature your opponent controls to attack each turn — and if they can't, that creature dies. At two mana, it applies consistent pressure while taxing your opponents' combat math every single round.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Nettling Imp is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but its real home is Commander. In 1v1 formats like Legacy and Vintage, the forced-attack effect is manageable for one opponent and the card rarely makes those rosters. In Commander, forcing one player's best blocker into a suicide attack — or threatening to destroy it outright — creates political and tactical leverage that scales surprisingly well across a four-player pod. It fits tightest in black decks that reward attacking creatures or punish opponents for having weak boards, and it pairs naturally with deathtouch creatures or effects that deal damage to attackers.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Nettling Imp's forced-attack effect is genuinely unusual, but Shiny Impetus and Martial Impetus do adjacent work by goading specific creatures — cheaper in mana and often in price, though they lack the destroy-if-unable clause that gives Nettling Imp its teeth. If the goal is simply taxing combat decisions, Goblin Spymaster creates broader goad pressure across the table for one more mana.
Price Context
Current price
$10.00 mid tier
At $10.00, Nettling Imp sits in the mid tier — steep for a utility creature that doesn't win the game on its own. It holds that price primarily through age and scarcity rather than widespread competitive demand, so it's worth picking up if you have a specific home in mind rather than speculating on demand growth.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.