Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is one of two new planeswalker characters introduced in the Theros set. Ashiok is a blue/black planeswalker costing three mana to cast one of which must be blue and another black. Ashiok enters the battlefield with three loyalty counters and has three abilities.

Any planeswalkers costing three mana deserves a second look. Ashiok’s first ability adds two loyalty and exiles the top three cards of an opponent’s library.

The second ability makes sense of the first. For the removal of X loyalty counters you can put a creature card with converted mana cost X that has been exiled with Ashiok onto the battlefield. This ability is nice, but it only works with creatures, and it relies on Ashiok having previously exiled that card. Also, if you have one Ashiok on the battlefield and exile some cards, and then later in the game cast a second Ashiok, the second Ashiok will not be able to put cards exiled with the first onto the battlefield. This also applies if Ashiok is returned to your hand and later cast again.

The first two abilities work closely together but are quite limited. So what of the third? The third ability exiles all cards from all opponents’ hands and graveyards. At this point you are going to want to pay serious attention back to that second ability. The final ability costs 10 loyalty counters to use, and it’s important not to be losing Ashiok when you use this ability. If you can keep that same Ashiok on the battlefield you are likely to have a lot of useful creature cards to choose from for that second ability. Still, it requires a good set of circumstances, and relies on your opponents using creatures that would also be useful for you.

Verdict: Marginal. Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is a tricky card to play well. Some circumstances may see this card shine, but you are reliant on the vagaries of multiplayer play to get the most (or least) out of this planeswalker. Your destiny is very much out of your control, making it difficult to build a powerful deck around Ashiok.

Connections: Like Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver? You may also like [Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas] [Jace, Memory Adept] [Jace, Architect of Thought]
Dislike Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver? You may prefer [Liliana of the Veil] [Domri Rade] [Elspeth, Sun’s Champion]