Kitesail Skirmisher MTG Card


Kitesail Skirmisher - Commander Legends
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Abilities Encore,Flying
Released2020-11-20
Set symbol
Set nameCommander Legends
Set codeCMR
Power 3
Toughness 1
Number77
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySidharth Chaturvedi

Key Takeaways

  1. Kitesail Skirmisher’s attack-trigger effect aids in card advantage, pressuring your opponent’s resources.
  2. Its mana requirements and discard mechanism may limit its versatility in certain deck structures.
  3. Incorporating Kitesail Skirmisher can create powerful combos and transformative battlefield tactics.

Text of card

Flying Whenever Kitesail Skirmisher attacks, another target creature attacking the same player or planeswalker gains flying until end of turn. Encore (, Exile this card from your graveyard: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kitesail Skirmisher offers a subtle edge when it comes to card advantage in MTG. Upon playing this card, the ability to potentially draw a card each time it attacks ensures a steady influx of options, maintaining or progressing your in-game advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card can also contribute to resource acceleration. While Kitesail Skirmisher itself doesn’t directly generate mana or treasure tokens, its ability to connect with an opponent can indirectly accelerate resources by pressuring the opponent’s defenses and resources, possibly leading to a favorable board state.

Instant Speed: Although Kitesail Skirmisher is not itself an instant card, its synergies with instant-speed cards are noteworthy. Being able to deploy tricks or buffs at instant speed on Kitesail Skirmisher as it attacks can be a game-changer, affecting combat outcomes significantly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Kitesail Skirmisher requires you to discard a card to enable its encore ability. This could set you back if you’re already dealing with a short hand, making it a potential liability during crucial turns.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands both blue and white mana, it necessitates a two-color deck, possibly restricting its inclusion only to decks that can reliably produce both types of mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Kitesail Skirmisher is significant, especially considering you need to spend three mana to cast it and additional mana to activate its encore ability. This can be a steep price, particularly when competing cards could offer similar or better effects for less.


Reasons to Include Kitesail Skirmisher in Your Collection

Versatility: Kitesail Skirmisher can seamlessly integrate into various deck builds. Its ability to gain flying makes it a flexible threat in combat, fitting well in aggressive strategies that value evasive creatures.

Combo Potential: This card’s synergy with equipment and aura spells that enhance its combat capabilities opens up combo possibilities. Such interactions could lead to powerful, game-winning turns.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the evolution of the game, Kitesail Skirmisher could have a significant impact in a meta that’s heavy on ground-based creatures, as its aerial advantage enables it to bypass common defenses.


How to beat Kitesail Skirmisher

In the diverse world of Magic the Gathering, Kitesail Skirmisher stands out as a card that can turn the tides with its ability to potentially become unblockable. However, its strength also comes with vulnerability. To effectively counter Kitesail Skirmisher, consider using cards that can remove creatures from the board without having to declare blockers. Removal spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can dispatch this elusive creature before it has the chance to be buffed or deals damage. Additionally, board wipes such as Wrath of God clear the path, nullifying any advantage the opponent might have garnered from the Skirmisher’s presence on the field.

Another strategy is to use cards that alter the combat phase, such as those with the ‘flash’ ability allowing you to bring in unexpected blockers, or those that prevent the Skirmisher from attacking. Spells like Ethereal Haze can provide a temporary respite by preventing all damage that would be dealt by creatures this turn, including that from Kitesail Skirmisher. By meticulously planning your moves and utilizing your removal and prevention tools, overcoming the Kitesail Skirmisher becomes a manageable task, maintaining control over the game’s pace and preserving your life total.


Cards like Kitesail Skirmisher

Kitesail Skirmisher is a unique combatant in the MTG universe, bearing similarities to cards that also enhance their combat abilities. Notably, it shares traits with cards like Tandem Lookout, which pairs well with creatures that are likely to deal combat damage and allows you to draw a card. However, Kitesail Skirmisher offers the advantage of flying, giving it a better chance to evade blockers and hit opponents directly.

Another kindred spirit is the Surrakar Spellblade which, like Kitesail Skirmisher, benefits from hitting opponents to trigger an effect. However, instead of granting evasion abilities, it accumulates knowledge counters that help rake in extra cards. Kitesail Skirmisher remains versatile due to its ability to be a persistent aerial threat. We also see similar dynamics with Audacious Thief, but instead of focusing on evasion, this creature thrives on the certainty of drawing a card every time it attacks, irrespective of whether it deals combat damage or not. Despite this, Kitesail Skirmisher’s flying trait often guarantees it will successfully strike opponents.

Thus, within the arsenal of MTG’s attack-triggered effect creatures, Kitesail Skirmisher’s combination of evasion and potential for enhancing other creatures makes it a commendable choice for players looking to sustain pressure and enhance battlefield tactics.

Tandem Lookout - MTG Card versions
Surrakar Spellblade - MTG Card versions
Audacious Thief - MTG Card versions
Tandem Lookout - MTG Card versions
Surrakar Spellblade - MTG Card versions
Audacious Thief - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kitesail Skirmisher MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends, 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 Kitesail Skirmisher and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kitesail Skirmisher has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kitesail Skirmisher card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2020-11-10 Each token must attack the appropriate player if able.
2020-11-10 Exiling the card with encore is a cost to activate the ability. Once you announce that you're activating it, no player may take actions until you've finished. They can't try to remove the card from your graveyard to stop you from paying the cost.
2020-11-10 If one of the tokens can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, you aren't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.
2020-11-10 If one of the tokens somehow is under another player's control as the delayed triggered ability resolves, you can't sacrifice that token. It remains on the battlefield indefinitely, even if you regain control of it later.
2020-11-10 Opponents who have left the game aren't counted when determining how many tokens to create.
2020-11-10 The tokens copy only what's on the original card. Effects that modified that creature when it was previously on the battlefield won't be copied.
2023-07-28 If an effect stops a token from attacking a specific player, that token can attack any player, planeswalker, or battle, or not attack at all. If the effect stops the token from attacking a specific player unless a cost is paid, you don't have to pay that cost unless you want to attack that player.

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