Tolarian Kraken MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you untap an island, Tolarian Kraken lets you draw a card, bolstering your hand and providing an edge over your opponent by pulling more options into your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Its ability to tap a potential blocker on your opponent’s battleground can lead to a shift in the tide, giving you the tempo advantage and the initiative during your turns.

Instant Speed: Interactions with instant speed spells and abilities synergize well with Tolarian Kraken. The ability to tap or untap a creature at crucial moments can be a game-changer, allowing for surprise blockades or enabling sneaky attacks through an opponent’s defenses.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tolarian Kraken demands a considerable setup. For its ability to function, a player must tap a creature, which often implies having to utilize another card or resource to get the desired effect. This not only depletes your hand but may also sideline your battle strategy, especially if you’re left with insufficient cards to make a pivotal play.

Specific Mana Cost: To leverage the Kraken’s full potential, a precise mana combination is necessary — two blue and four of any other type. This can be restrictive for players who operate multicolored decks, as it demands a stable mana base to reliably cast the Kraken on curve. Those running three or more colors might find it challenging to meet this specific mana requirement when they need it most.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of six mana, the Kraken leans towards the higher end of the spectrum, which may deter some players. Decks that aim for speed and efficiency might not find a place for the Kraken, as its cost may slow them down. Faster-paced games could be over before Tolarian Kraken even has a chance to make an impact, making it a less attractive option for aggressive or tempo-focused builds.

Reasons to Include Tolarian Kraken in Your Collection

Versatility: Tolarian Kraken brings a unique mechanism to blue-based decks. Its ability to tap or untap a permanent with every draw makes it a flexible tool for control, midrange, or tempo strategies.

Combo Potential: With an engine that untaps permanents, Tolarian Kraken can enable a variety of synergies. It works exceptionally well with cards that have tap abilities or benefit from being untapped multiple times within a turn.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves and new sets are released, cards like Tolarian Kraken could gain importance. It holds potential in a meta that rewards players for drawing cards, thus maintaining its relevance through various shifts.

How to beat

Tolarian Kraken is a formidable presence in the world of Magic: The Gathering, often causing a rapid shift in the tides of battle. With the ability to tap or untap a creature each time you draw a card, the Kraken can create openings and disrupt your opponent’s plans. Despite its apparent strength, overcoming this leviathan is not beyond the realms of possibility.

One strategy is to take advantage of its six mana cost, which means it comes into play relatively late in the game. This gives you time to develop a board presence or keep mana open for counterspells to prevent the Kraken from resolving. Control decks excel at this, as they have numerous ways to manage threats with counterspells like “Essence Scatter” or removal spells like “Rapid Hybridization” which can swiftly deal with the creature.

Besides counterspells and removal, combat tricks can be effective, too. Cards that grant protection from blue, such as “Miscast,” can make your creatures unblockable by the Kraken, pushing through for those last points of damage. Additionally, stay mindful of card-drawing activities since the Kraken’s controller might maximize such events; halting card drawing through cards like “Narset, Parter of Veils” can negate the Kraken’s abilities. Through careful play and strategic planning, even the might of the Tolarian Kraken can be quelled.

BurnMana Recommendations

Tolarian Kraken offers an intriguing blend of control and potential card advantage for MTG enthusiasts. Its synergy with card draw and ability to tap opponents’ creatures makes it a candidate for decks looking to manipulate the pace of the game. If you’re fascinated by strategic flexibility and enjoy dictating combat terms, then the Kraken could be a worthy addition to your blue-centric builds. Seeking to enhance your control strategies or curious about forming new synergies within your deck? Explore further and discover how Tolarian Kraken can make waves in your next MTG showdown.