Kabira Vindicator MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Knight
Abilities Level Up
Power 2
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Kabira Vindicator boosts battlefield presence when mana is invested in its level up ability.
  2. Its two white mana requirement may limit deck versatility but strengthens white-based strategies.
  3. Combining with other ally cards, it significantly amplifies creature-based deck power.

Text of card

Level up (: Put a level counter on this. Level up only as a sorcery.) LEVEL 2-4 3/6 Other creatures you control get +1/+1. LEVEL 5+ 4/8 Other creatures you control get +2/+2.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kabira Vindicator’s level up ability can turn it into a formidable force on the battlefield. As you invest mana into it, you also strengthen your board presence, effectively maintaining your card advantage against an opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting resources, leveling up Kabira Vindicator is a mana investment that pays off over time. By spending mana efficiently, you can accelerate the power of your creatures, indirectly strengthening your resource game.

Instant Speed: Kabira Vindicator itself may not function at instant speed, but its level up mechanic allows you to use mana at the end of your opponent’s turn to develop your board if you didn’t need to cast other spells. This flexibility lets you keep up the momentum and potentially surprise opponents with a sudden level up.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In regards to Kabira Vindicator, there isn’t a discard requirement to worry about. This, however, can also mean lack of mechanisms to utilize excess cards in hand, which can be seen in other strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s cost involves two white mana, which might restrict its integration outside of mono-white or two-color decks, potentially hindering its versatility in more diverse mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Kabira Vindicator comes with a somewhat steep mana cost for its base stats. Prior to leveraging its leveling up ability, other cards could be more impactful in a game for a similar investment.


Reasons to Include Kabira Vindicator in Your Collection

Versatility: Kabira Vindicator’s Level Up ability allows it to easily adapt to the ever-evolving board state. Initially a modest creature, it can become a significant threat and support piece as the game progresses, making it a flexible addition to any white-based deck focused on creating and buffing creatures.

Combo Potential: As an ally, Kabira Vindicator works well with other ally creatures. Its ability to boost the power and toughness of other creatures makes it a valuable combo piece in ally-centric decks that aim to overwhelm opponents with a squad of significantly powered-up creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Kabira Vindicator shines by enhancing your board’s resilience and serving as a formidable force multiplier. Its ability to escalate in power through levels makes it a suitable card in prolonged games, holding its own against various midrange strategies.


How to beat

Kabira Vindicator is a versatile creature card that can bolster your troops on the battlefield in MTG. This card brings significant value, especially in decks focused on creature synergy. Yet, with strategic plays, overcoming this threat is feasible. Firstly, efficient removal spells are key; cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can eliminate Kabira Vindicator outright, thus denying any potential boosts to other creatures.

Another method includes using counter spells to prevent Kabira Vindicator from hitting the board in the first place. When facing creature-heavy decks, keep mana available for counter spells like Mana Leak or Essence Scatter. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation are also effective, clearing the field of all creatures, including buffed ones. Utilizing these strategies can keep the battlefield manageable and the Vindicator’s advantage at bay.

Lastly, focus on tempo. Playing your spells and creatures efficiently can outpace an opponent relying on the Vindicator’s level up mechanic. Time walks or bounce spells can also reset the Vindicator’s level-up progress, making it less of a threat. By applying these techniques, you stand a strong chance of negating Kabira Vindicator’s impact in MTG games.


Cards like Kabira Vindicator

Examining the characteristics of Kabira Vindicator, this Magic: The Gathering card holds a unique position in the realm of creature boosts. Related to cards like Veteran Armorsmith, which offers a defensive buff to other soldiers, Kabira Vindicator places emphasis on an offensive strategy by steadily increasing the power and toughness of your team with its level up feature.

The similarities between Kabira Vindicator and creatures like Benalish Marshal are noticeable, as the Marshal provides an aura of increased power and toughness to fellow creatures. However, Kabira Vindicator brings the adaptability to grow stronger over time, representing a potential game-changer in a prolonged match. On the other end, we have Mikaeus, the Lunarch who can distribute +1/+1 counters—a more flexible benefit that can target individual creatures or scale up a whole army, albeit without strengthening himself unless counters are moved off other creatures.

Ultimately, Kabira Vindicator holds its ground among cards that empower creatures. While its initial investment may seem steep, the scaling effect can lead to an overwhelming advantage, positioning it as a compelling choice within creature-buffing strategies in Magic: The Gathering.

Veteran Armorsmith - MTG Card versions
Benalish Marshal - MTG Card versions
Mikaeus, the Lunarch - MTG Card versions
Veteran Armorsmith - Magic 2010 (M10)
Benalish Marshal - Dominaria Promos (PDOM)
Mikaeus, the Lunarch - From the Vault: Legends (V11)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kabira Vindicator MTG card by a specific set like Rise of the Eldrazi and Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons, 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 Kabira Vindicator and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kabira Vindicator Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2010-04-23 and 2015-08-28. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-04-23Rise of the EldraziROE 282003levelerblackSteven Belledin
22011-04-01Duel Decks: Knights vs. DragonsDDG 162003levelerblackSteven Belledin
32015-08-28Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. EldraziDDP 42015levelerblackSteven Belledin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kabira Vindicator has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2010-06-15 A creature’s level is based on how many level counters it has on it, not how many times its level up ability has been activated or has resolved. If a leveler gets level counters due to some other effect (such as Clockspinning) or loses level counters for some reason (such as Vampire Hexmage), its level is changed accordingly.
2010-06-15 Effects that modify a leveler’s power or toughness, such as the effects of Giant Growth or Glorious Anthem, will apply to it no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creature’s power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters) and effects that switch its power and toughness.
2010-06-15 Effects that set a leveler’s power or toughness to a specific value, including the effects from a level symbol’s ability, apply in timestamp order. The timestamp of each level symbol’s ability is the same as the timestamp of the leveler itself, regardless of when the most recent level counter was put on it.
2010-06-15 If another creature becomes a copy of a leveler, all of the leveler’s printed abilities — including those represented by level symbols — are copied. The current characteristics of the leveler, and the number of level counters on it, are not. The abilities, power, and toughness of the copy will be determined based on how many level counters are on the copy.
2010-06-15 The abilities a leveler grants to itself don’t overwrite any other abilities it may have. In particular, they don’t overwrite the creature’s level up ability; it always has that.

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