Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer MTG Card

Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer - Commander 2019

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Mythic
Type	Legendary Creature — Naga Wizard
Released	2019-08-23
Set symbol
Set name	Commander 2019
Set code	C19
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	45
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Caio Monteiro

Key Takeaways

Kadena provides card draw with each face-down creature cast, ensuring a steady resource flow.
First face-down creature cast each turn is cheaper, allowing for aggressive board development.
Instant speed morphs with Kadena enhance flexibility and enable surprise tactics in gameplay.

Text of card

The first face-down creature spell you cast each turn costs less to cast. Whenever a face-down creature enters the battlefield under your control, draw a card.

"The only constant in life is the unknown."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer rewards you for playing face-down creatures. You receive the benefit of drawing a card each time you cast a face-down creature, potentially each turn, ensuring a consistent flow of resources and maintaining a hand full of options.

Resource Acceleration: With Kadena on the battlefield, the first face-down creature you cast each turn costs 3 less to cast. This effectively accelerates your resources by reducing the mana costs traditionally associated with morph or manifest creatures, allowing for a more robust board presence earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: A strategy that involves morph cards inherently benefits from the ability to turn creatures face up at instant speed. This synergizes with Kadena’s abilities by providing surprise factor and flexibility, reacting to an opponent’s moves during their turn and maximizing the utility of each creature’s morph effects.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer does not mandate discarding directly, her ability to procure value is contingent on a robust supply of morph cards. When your hand is barren of these, you might find yourself at a disadvantage, constrained in both progression and options.

Specific Mana Cost: Commanding a precise mana alignment of one green, one blue, and one black, Kadena’s casting necessitates a well-tuned mana base. This may restrict her viability solely to dedicated morph-centric or Sultai decks, potentially marginalizing her in more generalized deck configurations.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana to bring Kadena to the battlefield, which includes three different colors, this casts a shadow on her efficiency. Many decks might reach for lower-cost commanders or creatures that offer immediate board presence or more impactful abilities for a similar investment.

Reasons to Include Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer in Your Collection

Versatility: Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer seamlessly slots into any deck that leans heavily on morph mechanics. She affords you the ability to play morph cards face down without paying their mana costs once each turn, thus paving the way for flexibility in both strategy and resource allocation during the game.

Combo Potential: This commander opens up a breadth of combo possibilities, enabling a cascade of morph-related synergies. Whether it’s flipping creatures for surprise effects or utilizing the free morph to chain into other spells, Kadena magnifies the strategic depth of your play.

Meta-Relevance: With the constantly shifting metagame, Kadena can give you an upper hand by keeping your opponents guessing. The unpredictability of face-down creatures can disrupt common meta strategies, keeping your arsenal fresh and difficult to counter.

How to beat Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer

Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer is a force to be reckoned with in the ever-shifting landscape of MTG. As the commander piece in a deck that favors morph creatures, Kadena brings the element of surprise and can lead to a board state that keeps opponents guessing. To disrupt the advantage provided by Kadena, it is crucial to have strategies that can unveil the hidden threats or mitigate their morphing benefits.

One effective tactic is utilizing cards that prevent face-down creatures from turning face-up, such as ‘Ixidron’ which turns all other creatures face-down. Another is to include instant speed removals or spells that force the sacrifice of creatures, circumventing the morph mechanic. Keeping an eye out for ways to hinder drawing extra cards, a perk granted by Kadena each turn, can also be essential. This can be done by implementing targeted discard strategies or cards like ‘Narset, Parter of Veils’ to limit card advantage.

Being vigilant about countering key spells that facilitate the morph strategy or applying consistent board pressure can also undermine Kadena’s influence. Ultimately, understanding and anticipating the morph mechanic, maintaining board control, and limiting the card advantage can lead you to victory against a deck helmed by Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer.

Cards like Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer

Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer stands out in the landscape of commander choices within MTG, offering unique value to fans of morph gameplay. Kadena is often compared to cards like Animar, Soul of Elements, which also provides a cost reduction for creatures. However, Kadena specifically targets morph creatures by making the first morph you play each turn free and draws you a card, an advantage that Animar does not directly offer.

Another card in the realm of cost reduction is Roon of the Hidden Realm. Roon specializes in blink strategies, allowing you to re-trigger enter-the-battlefield abilities. While Roon and Kadena both manipulate creature abilities, Kadena’s focus on the morph mechanic and card advantage provides a distinct path for deck building that Roon can’t replicate. Ezuri, Claw of Progress, can appear similar, rewarding you for playing smaller creatures, but it doesn’t provide the inherent card draw or cost reduction for morphs that Kadena does.

Despite these comparisons, Kadena’s blend of cost-efficiency, card draw, and its synergy with the morph mechanic carves a unique niche in MTG. If you’re crafting a deck that maximizes the morph mechanic’s potential, Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer should be at the top of your consideration list.

Animar, Soul of Elements - MTG Card versions

Roon of the Hidden Realm - MTG Card versions

Ezuri, Claw of Progress - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer by color, type and mana cost

Archelos, Lagoon Mystic - MTG Card versions

Sidisi, Brood Tyrant - MTG Card versions

Rayami, First of the Fallen - MTG Card versions

Zaxara, the Exemplary - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2019, 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 Kadena, Slinking Sorcerer and other MTG cards: