Child of Thorns MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Spirit
Released	2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set code	BOK
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	123
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jeff Easley

Key Takeaways

Child of Thorns ensures resourceful play and tactical creature sacrifices for strategic gain and tempo.
Its specific mana cost and discard requirements can limit flexibility in a multi-colored deck.
Despite mana-cost concerns, its synergy in combo decks makes it a valuable card for many strategies.

Text of card

Sacrifice Child of Thorns: Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"The soratami scoff at the perils of Jukai, calling the forest an 'unruly garden.' Perhaps we should send them a rose such as this." —Dokai, Weaver of Life

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Child of Thorns shines when it comes to maintaining a steady flow of creatures on the board. As a low-cost creature, it can enable you to deploy other spells while still extending your board presence, potentially drawing out removal spells early on and saving your more substantial creatures for later in the game.

Resource Acceleration: Despite not directly generating mana or tokens, Child of Thorns can be a key piece in strategies that capitalize on sacrifice mechanics. It can be used as fodder for more powerful spells or abilities that require a creature to be sacrificed, indirectly speeding up your game plan by fuelling more potent effects.

Instant Speed: The ability to sacrifice Child of Thorns at instant speed provides a tactical advantage, allowing you to wait until the most opportune moment to buff another creature or trade in combat. The flexibility offered by this speed lets you make decisions with full knowledge of the state of play, ensuring you get the best outcome from its ability.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In order to harness the full potential of Child of Thorns, you may need to part with valuable cards from your hand. This discard demand can put you in a difficult spot, especially when your hand size is dwindling and each card holds strategic importance for forthcoming turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Child of Thorns demands a precise combination of mana colors to cast it onto the battlefield. This necessitates having both green and black mana sources available, potentially limiting your deck-building options and reducing its versatility in multi-colored decks that are not focused on these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the casting cost against its capabilities, Child of Thorns might not be the most mana-efficient option available. Players should consider whether the investment aligns with their deck’s strategy and whether alternative creatures or spells might offer a better return or stronger synergies for the same or lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include Child of Thorns in Your Collection

Versatility: Child of Thorns is a card that finds its place in a variety of green-focused decks. Its ability to bolster other creatures with its sacrifice effect makes it useful in both offensive and defensive situations.

Combo Potential: As a cheap creature, it synergizes well with strategies revolving around sacrificing creatures for greater effects, making it a subtle yet powerful component in combo decks.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where combat tricks and creature value are key, Child of Thorns shines by potentially disrupting combat math and enabling surprise victories.

How to beat

Child of Thorns is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering that presents a challenge to players due to its ability to buff other creatures. Recognizing its potential to turn the tide of battle, players often seek strategies to neutralize its impact. One effective approach is to remove it before it can be utilized—for instance, with instant-speed removal spells that can target and destroy it before its ability is activated.

To further diminish the threat posed by Child of Thorns, control decks can prove advantageous. Utilizing counter spells to prevent it from ever entering the battlefield is a solid tactic. Moreover, sweepers are particularly effective, clearing all creatures from the playfield, including such utility creatures. It’s also crucial to maintain board presence, putting pressure on the opponent and forcing them to use their resources defensively rather than offensively with Child of Thorns.

Ultimately, while Child of Thorns can be a formidable asset for boosting other creatures, with adequate preparation and a tactical game plan, its presence can be mitigated, ensuring that it doesn’t become a thorn in your side during the match.

Cards like Child of Thorns

Child of Thorns is a unique creature in the vast universe of MTG, echoing the abilities of other cheap and efficient creatures that serve multiple purposes. Akin to Selfless Savior, Child of Thorns provides a way to protect your more valuable creatures. While Selfless Savior sacrifices itself to shield another creature, Child of Thorns offers the option to boost another creature’s power or toughness, potentially tipping combat in your favor.

Spore Frog is another creature that comes to mind for its ability to influence the battlefield. Even though Spore Frog is renowned for its capacity to entirely negate a turn’s worth of combat damage, Child of Thorns requires a more strategic position, allowing for more controlled combat manipulations. In contrast, Sylvan Safekeeper offers a similar protective utility, trading lands for shroud, whereas Child of Thorns provides its service without demanding such a sacrifice from your mana base.

Through comparing these cards, Child of Thorns stands out for its versatility and combat tricks without the immediate sacrifice of the creature or other resources, a feature that can be incredibly advantageous in the tactical stages of MTG gameplay.

Cards similar to Child of Thorns by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Child of Thorns MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Child of Thorns and other MTG cards: