Kraken's Eye MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Kraken’s Eye can provide a steady life increase, especially in blue-focused decks enhancing their durability.
  2. Its specificity is double-edged, benefiting mono-blue decks but limiting its application in multi-colored strategies.
  3. While not a game-changer, it offers a niche role in particular MTG formats where blue spells dominate.

Text of card

Whenever a player plays a blue spell, you may gain 1 life.

Bright as a mirror, dark as the sea.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Kraken’s Eye doesn’t directly provide card advantage, it supports longevity in matches, which indirectly leads to more card draws over the game. The longer you’re in play, the more draws you’ll get, ensuring a sustained flow of resources.

Resource Acceleration: Kraken’s Eye offers a form of life gain which can be crucial for stabilizing against faster, aggressive decks. Every spell your opponents cast triggers the Eye, giving you a valuable life point that could be the difference between a loss and an unexpected comeback.

Instant Speed: Even though Kraken’s Eye is an artifact that doesn’t operate at instant speed, its triggered ability activates at any time, offering immediate life gain. This function allows you to benefit during either player’s turn, keeping you responsive to the evolving board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike cards that offer a bonus without any drawbacks, Kraken’s Eye demands a certain commitment. Each time a blue spell is cast, the meager gain of one life may not always justify a slot in your deck.

Specific Mana Cost: Kraken’s Eye’s utility is largely confined to decks heavily skewed toward blue spells. This can be restrictive because it diminishes its value in multicolored decks that don’t favor blue or in formats where blue spells aren’t prevalent.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating artifact options for your deck, it’s essential to weigh their mana costs against their benefits. Kraken’s Eye invests mana into a minimal life gain effect, which might be outshined by other low-cost artifacts that offer a more significant impact on the game state.


Reasons to Include Kraken’s Eye in Your Collection

Versatility: Kraken’s Eye is a flexible addition to any deck focusing on blue spells. Its ability to gain you life each time you cast a blue spell allows for more breathing room against aggressive strategies.

Combo Potential: This artifact synergizes well with decks built around casting numerous spells per turn, essentially turning each blue spell into a life-gaining machine. This can be crucial for surviving while setting up your winning combos.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta populated with fast-paced red decks or other strategies that aim to reduce your life total quickly, Kraken’s Eye can provide the necessary life buffer to stabilize and maneuver towards a dominant board state.


How to Beat

Kraken’s Eye is a card that often slides into decks heavy on blue spells to bolster a player’s life total as they cast. Navigating around this artifact requires a blend of strategy and a touch of careful deck construction. One effective method to counter Kraken’s Eye is through artifact removal spells that are commonplace in most sideboards. Cards like Naturalize or Disenchant are prime examples that can directly handle the Eye.

Alternatively, aggressive decks can focus on maintaining a consistent pressure to outpace the life gain from Kraken’s Eye. Strategies that feature rapid creature deployment or direct damage spells, often referred to as burn spells, can effectively negate the incremental life gained. Even better, employing cards with abilities to hinder or tax the opponent’s blue spell casting can significantly diminish the utility of Kraken’s Eye in the match-up.

Ultimately, prevailing over Kraken’s Eye in a game comes down to acknowledging its role in the opponent’s strategy and countering it with targeted removal or by imposing a speedy and unrelenting threat.


Cards like Kraken's Eye

Kraken’s Eye stands out as a unique life-gaining artifact in Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels to cards like Dragon’s Claw, which similarly provides a life boost whenever a player casts a spell that corresponds with the artifact’s creature type. Kraken’s Eye specifically gains you one life whenever a blue spell is cast, favoring decks that are heavy in blue magic.

Another relic of note is Angel’s Feather, which operates under the same mechanic, triggering off of white spells. This opens up avenues for life gain in various deck strategies, color-focused and otherwise. While Kraken’s Eye caters to the depth and control of blue spells, Angel’s Feather can become a staple in more aggressive white decks.

Demon’s Horn mirrors the effect for black spells, making it an asset in decks looking to outlast opponents through lifegain while deploying powerful black magic. Each of these artifacts presents an opportunity to harness the casting of spells within their color, turning it into a resource for sustaining a player’s vitality in the game.

Dragon's Claw - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Dragon's Claw - Darksteel (DST)
Angel's Feather - Darksteel (DST)
Demon's Horn - Darksteel (DST)

Cards similar to Kraken's Eye by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Steel Overseer - MTG Card versions
Wurm's Tooth - MTG Card versions
Liquimetal Coating - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Winter Orb - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Amulet of Kroog - Rinascimento (RIN)
Nacre Talisman - Ice Age (ICE)
Howling Mine - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Essence Bottle - Tempest (TMP)
Emerald Medallion - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Scrying Glass - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Cursed Totem - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Tsabo's Web - World Championship Decks 2001 (WC01)
Millikin - Odyssey (ODY)
Ark of Blight - Scourge (SCG)
Surestrike Trident - Darksteel (DST)
Energy Chamber - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Water Gun Balloon Game - Unhinged (UNH)
Angel's Feather - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Demon's Horn - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Steel Overseer - Magic 2011 (M11)
Wurm's Tooth - Magic 2011 (M11)
Liquimetal Coating - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kraken's Eye MTG card by a specific set like Darksteel and Ninth Edition, 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 Kraken's Eye and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Kraken's Eye Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2004-02-06 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by Alan Pollack.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12004-02-06DarksteelDST 1262003normalblackAlan Pollack
22005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 3022003normalwhiteAlan Pollack
32005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 302★2003normalblackAlan Pollack
42007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 3292003normalblackAlan Pollack
52009-07-17Magic 2010M10 2132003normalblackAlan Pollack
62010-06-04Duels of the PlaneswalkersDPA 932003normalblackAlan Pollack
72010-07-16Magic 2011M11 2102003normalblackAlan Pollack
82011-07-15Magic 2012M12 2112003normalblackAlan Pollack

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Kraken's Eye has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2009-10-01 If a player casts a blue spell, Kraken’s Eye’s ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. Kraken’s Eye’s ability will resolve (causing you to gain 1 life) before the spell does.
2009-10-01 The ability triggers whenever any player, not just you, casts a blue spell.

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