Pus Kami MTG Card


Pus Kami - Betrayers of Kamigawa
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Abilities Soulshift
Released2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set nameBetrayers of Kamigawa
Set codeBOK
Power 3
Toughness 3
Number79
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDave Allsop

Key Takeaways

  1. Pus Kami ensures card advantage by recurring spirits, essential for resource-rich game plays.
  2. Instant speed play offers strategic flexibility, crucial for responding to opponents’ moves.
  3. Demanding mana requirements can hinder Pus Kami’s inclusion in some MTG decks.

Text of card

, Sacrifice Pus Kami: Destroy target nonblack creature. Soulshift 6 (When this is put into a graveyard from play, you may return target Spirit card with converted mana cost 6 or less from your graveyard to your hand.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Pus Kami offers a strategic edge by bringing back two spirits from your graveyard to your hand. This recursive ability can replenish your resources and keep you ahead of the opponent by maintaining a full grip of options.

Resource Acceleration: This card can serve as a catalyst for gameplay, enabling you to utilize the spirits returned to your hand as a means of accelerating your board presence, potentially unlocking new synergies within your deck.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Pus Kami at instant speed provides the flexibility to respond to an opponent’s move during their turn, potentially disrupting their strategies while bolstering your defenses or setting up a counterattack.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Pus Kami comes with the built-in penalty of needing to discard a card, which can be quite taxing during moments where every card in hand is essential to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Pus Kami, you’re pigeonholed into having both black and green mana available. If your deck isn’t perfectly tuned to generate these colors consistently, Pus Kami may linger in your hand unusable.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes three general and one black and green mana, Pus Kami demands a substantial investment which can be challenging to meet early in the game or in fast-paced matches, potentially putting you at a tempo disadvantage against decks that operate more efficiently.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Pus Kami card offers a unique flexibility to your deck, adapting smoothly to control and midrange archetypes. Its ability to disrupt opponent’s strategies while being a formidable blocker makes it a versatile pick for any collection.

Combo Potential: With its spirit and arcane synergies, Pus Kami can be the lynchpin in combos that capitalize on those tribes or spell types. Its sacrifice ability can also be a crucial part of intricate interactions, especially in decks that benefit from creatures leaving the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: Given the right environment, this card can significantly impact the gameplay. In a meta-game with a high volume of creature-based strategies, Pus Kami stands as a bulwark, capable of holding off assaults while enabling your counterplays, proving its worth in diverse competitive settings.


How to beat

Pus Kami is a unique creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Its power lies in its ability to regenerate, a mechanic that brings it back to life after it would be destroyed in battle or by a spell. This trait makes Pus Kami frustrating to face on the battlefield as it can easily withstand attempts to remove it via conventional damage.

To effectively counter Pus Kami, employ cards that exile, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares. Exiling bypasses regeneration by removing the creature from the game entirely. Another strategy is to utilize cards that force sacrifice because regeneration does not protect against this effect—cards like Diabolic Edict or Liliana of the Veil can be key here. Additionally, preventing Pus Kami from regenerating by applying a ‘can’t regenerate’ clause with spells like Wrath of God provides a definitive answer to this persistent threat.

Understanding the mechanics at play and having the right answers in your deck are critical to deal with regenerative creatures like Pus Kami. By including exile or sacrifice effects and incorporating board wipes that negate regeneration, you can turn the tide against this resilient foe.


Cards like Pus Kami

Pus Kami can be quite an intriguing card to discuss among creatures that have graveyard interaction in Magic: The Gathering. Its most direct comparison is Scavenging Ooze, a creature with the capability to methodically exile cards from graveyards. While Scavenging Ooze offers targeted graveyard removal, it also empowers itself by getting +1/+1 counters and providing life gain for each card exiled.

Another creature that delves into similar territory is Nighthowler, which, instead of removing graveyard cards for a direct effect, gains strength equal to the number of creature cards in all graveyards. The significant difference here is the snowball potential Nighthowler has, growing larger as the game progresses. Below, the comparison draws on different strategies that utilize the graveyard, yet each caters to a unique playstyle within Magic: The Gathering.

While each of these creatures engages with graveyards, Pus Kami stands out for its capability to directly destroy problematic artifacts and enchantments, a feature neither Scavenging Ooze nor Nighthowler share. The spirit creature offers a unique balance of graveyard control and utility, making it a viable option in many Magic: The Gathering decks that prioritize interaction with opponent’s resources.

Scavenging Ooze - MTG Card versions
Nighthowler - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ooze - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Nighthowler - Theros Promos (PTHS)

Cards similar to Pus Kami by color, type and mana cost

Lord of the Pit - MTG Card versions
Minion of Tevesh Szat - MTG Card versions
Minion of Leshrac - MTG Card versions
Cateran Overlord - MTG Card versions
Deathbringer Regent - MTG Card versions
Black Dragon - MTG Card versions
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - MTG Card versions
Zombie Brute - MTG Card versions
Patron of the Nezumi - MTG Card versions
Tresserhorn Skyknight - MTG Card versions
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - MTG Card versions
Phage the Untouchable - MTG Card versions
Ebon Dragon - MTG Card versions
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - MTG Card versions
Sheoldred, Whispering One - MTG Card versions
Sutured Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Abhorrent Overlord - MTG Card versions
Fell Shepherd - MTG Card versions
Butcher of Malakir - MTG Card versions
Eater of Hope - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Pit - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Minion of Tevesh Szat - Masters Edition IV (ME4)
Minion of Leshrac - Ice Age (ICE)
Cateran Overlord - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Deathbringer Regent - Commander 2021 (C21)
Black Dragon - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Reaper of Night // Harvest Fear - Throne of Eldraine (ELD)
Zombie Brute - Legions (LGN)
Patron of the Nezumi - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Tresserhorn Skyknight - Coldsnap (CSP)
Lim-Dûl the Necromancer - Time Spiral (TSP)
Phage the Untouchable - Conspiracy (CNS)
Ebon Dragon - From the Vault: Dragons (DRB)
Kalitas, Bloodchief of Ghet - Zendikar (ZEN)
Sheoldred, Whispering One - Multiverse Legends (MUL)
Sutured Ghoul - Magic 2012 (M12)
Abhorrent Overlord - Theros Promos (PTHS)
Fell Shepherd - Commander 2013 (C13)
Butcher of Malakir - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Eater of Hope - Midnight Hunt Commander (MIC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Pus Kami 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 Pus Kami and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Pus Kami has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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