Nissa, Vastwood Seer - A Magic the Gathering (MTG) Card Review

by     Phoenix Desertsong, Old School Duelist

Nissa, Vastwood Seer saw a lot of Standard play during her heyday. As a double-sided creature, it seemed very unlikely that we'd see her reprinted any time soon. Of course, From the Vault: Transform did offer a reprinted version of several Transform cards, including the Seer. So,  that reprint may have limited the rise in her price, but it hasn't stopped it.

The Vastwood Seer Found Homes in Pioneer Decks

 Since leaving Standard, the Vastwood Seer has seen only a little bit of competitive play in Modern as a part of the occasional Kiki Chord deck. But, with the rise of the Pioneer format, Nissa, Vastwood Seer has found a home in updated Bant Collected Company decks and a version of "The Rock" Green/Black "good stuff" deck built around the card Seasons Past. While little more than a Borderland Ranger on her front side, her back-side, Nissa, Sage Animist, is a fairly good planeswalker.

Nissa, Vastwood Seer does not transform into a planeswalker until you control at least seven lands in play. But Nissa, Sage Animist is worth the wait. Her first ability allows you to draw a card, and if it’s a land card, put it directly into play. That’s already pretty good. She can also create a 4/4 legendary token. But her ultimate is extremely good, which can untap 6 target lands, and turn them into 6/6 Elemental creatures permanently.  While all of these abilities were good in Standard, there are far more opportunities for her to transform in EDH.

Nissa, Vastwood Seer is Gaining Value

Back in Mid-August 2017, Nissa, Vastwood Seer sold for around $6-7. Even her foil is only fetching about $18. While a multiplier of 3 is fine for a foil, one that is ubiquitous in Commander as Nissa, Vastwood Seer is likely to be much higher than that. Not to mention, this is a double sided mythic rare card. You would think her foil price would have a multiplier closer to 4, such as with Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy.  However, with her inclusion in competitive Pioneer decks, Nissa's price has risen to over $10, although due to the presence of the FTV foil, her Origins foils aren't even double the nonfoil price. That's great news for players who love to foil out their decks.

As a card that once peaked at $32, there’s plenty of room for Nissa, Vastwood Seer to grow. While it’s doubtful that she’ll hit $30 again without being in a Top 8 appearance in Pioneer. But, her foil price could easily reach that again. That would mean her non-foil version would probably follow suit in price to about $10-12. It’s hard not to see yourself doubling your money on Nissa, Vastwood Seer in a few years.

Nissa, Vastwood Seer is Just a Role Player in Commander / EDH

While not a big deal in multiplayer as a Commander (only about 230 decks on EDHREC), Nissa, Vastwood Seer does see play in over 5700 decks as a member of the other 99. While Borderland Ranger is a good card in that format, her planeswalker side is even more valuable in that format than in Standard. She’s also a very good Commander in 1v1, although that format doesn’t drive prices in the way that multiplayer does, at least not currently.

If you're looking to play Nissa, Vastwood Seer, now is as good a time as any to pick up copies. It is fairly easy to predict that her price will rise considerably as time goes on. It is fairly easy to say that Nissa, Vastwood Seer is a solid buy. As the Pioneer format grows, it's likely Nissa, Vastwood Seer will find other homes, as well.

DISCLAIMER: The writer currently owns no copies of this card for any purposes.