Kaito, Dancing Shadow MTG Card
2023-02-03 - Number 204p
2023-02-03 - Number 463
2023-02-03 - Number 204
2023-02-03 - Number 340
2023-02-03 - Number 204s
2023-02-03 - Number 78
2023-02-03 - Number 48
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Planeswalker — Kaito |
| Loyalty | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Kaito manipulates your deck, enabling card advantage and safe recasting of ninja creatures.
- Ninjutsu ability at instant speed provides adaptability and can disrupt opponents’ turns.
- Kaito’s requirement to discard for activation may affect resource management in-game.
Text of card
Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, you may return one of them to its owner's hand. If you do, you may activate loyalty abilities of Kaito twice this turn rather than only once.
+1: Up to one target creature can't attack or block until your next turn.
0: Draw a card.
-2: Create a 2/2 colorless Drone artifact creature token with deathtouch and "When this creature leaves the battlefield, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Kaito, Dancing Shadow offers strategic depth in gameplay by allowing you to consistently manipulate your deck. With its ability to return Ninja creatures to your hand, it not only protects valuable creatures from removal but also sets the stage for potent re-casts, fostering a solid card advantage over opponents.
Resource Acceleration: This card accelerates resource generation through its ninjutsu ability. By bouncing an unblocked attacker back to your hand, Kaito enables you to cleverly cheat in higher cost creatures for a reduced ninjutsu cost, speeding up your play and outpacing the opposition’s board development.
Instant Speed: The ninjutsu ability of Kaito, Dancing Shadow, which can be activated at instant speed, grants you the flexibility to adapt to the battlefield as it unfolds. Interrupting your opponent’s rhythm, it allows strategic plays that can shift game momentum in your favor during their turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One of the hurdles players face with Kaito, Dancing Shadow is the need to discard another card to utilize its full potential. This discard mechanic can be particularly taxing when hand size is limited or every card in hand is essential to your strategy. It forces tough decisions and, at times, an unfavorable compromise on resources versus value gained.
Specific Mana Cost: Kaito, Dancing Shadow’s mana cost includes black and blue, requiring a deck tailored to these colors. This can be restrictive as it demands a mana base that may not align with broader deck archetypes, potentially excluding it from decks that cannot support such color specificity without compromising their mana consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of four mana, players expect a significant impact on the game. However, considering the available options in the current meta, there may be alternative cards that offer similar or better effects for the same or lower mana cost. This positions Kaito, Dancing Shadow as a sometimes less than optimal choice when building an efficient and competitive deck.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Kaito, Dancing Shadow lends itself to a multitude of deck archetypes. Its ability to generate a stream of Ninjutsu stealth attackers ensures a degree of unpredictability and tactical depth that can benefit both aggressive and control-oriented decks.
Combo Potential: Drawing a card whenever Kaito, Dancing Shadow returns to your hand opens up opportunities for synergies. It can be a catalyst for combos, especially in decks that capitalize on cast triggers or cards that have effects when drawn.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state that emphasizes strategic plays and attrition wars, this card offers exceptional utility. The evasive nature of shroud can protect key strategies from targeted removal, which is often prevalent in competitive environments.
How to beat Kaito, Dancing Shadow
Navigating the shadows can be tricky, but with the right strategy, you can outmaneuver Kaito, Dancing Shadow, an intriguing card to face in MTG. Boasting abilities that allow for card advantage and elusive maneuvers, Kaito can be a persistent threat. To effectively counter this card, focusing on removal spells that can target it regardless of its stealthiness is crucial.
Consider employing instant-speed removal options such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile that can disrupt your opponent’s flow and take Kaito off the board before its abilities become overwhelming. Moreover, utilizing board wipes can prove effective, as they clear Kaito in addition to any other creatures your opponent might have, negating the card advantage procured through its ninjutsu ability. Strategic timing is essential—strike when Kaito is most vulnerable, particularly when summoned or before its controller declares attackers.
Don’t let its cunning abilities deter you. With foresight and the right spells at your disposal, even a master ninja such as Kaito, Dancing Shadow can be overcome, ensuring you maintain control of the game and emerge victorious in your MTG confrontations.
Cards like Kaito, Dancing Shadow
Kaito, Dancing Shadow introduces a unique dynamic to players’ strategies in the realm of planeswalkers. When juxtaposed with other planeswalkers like Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver, a key distinction becomes clear. Kaito emphasizes evasive maneuvers, with an ability that allows him to become unblockable, thus remaining on the battlefield longer. Ashiok, on the other hand, focuses on distorting opponents’ plans by exiling cards and creating creature tokens.
Analogous to Kaito is Tezzeret, Artifice Master, who shares the affinity for card advantage but with a lean towards artifact synergies. While Kaito ensures consistent stealth and card draw to keep one step ahead, Tezzeret’s strengths lie in his versatility and the potential for an explosive amount of card draw under the right conditions.
Assessing these cards side by side, Kaito, Dancing Shadow is a testament to a design that rewards players for taking a subtle and tactical approach in pacing the game, a contrast to the more straightforward resource advantage granted by Tezzeret. Both create avenues for victory, but Kaito’s elusive nature could very well be a deciding factor in matches that reward cunning and guile.
Cards similar to Kaito, Dancing Shadow by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kaito, Dancing Shadow MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos and Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Kaito, Dancing Shadow and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Kaito, Dancing Shadow Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos | PONE | 204p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daarken | |
| 2 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 463 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Kento Matsuura | |
| 3 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 204 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daarken | |
| 4 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One | ONE | 340 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Kento Matsuura | |
| 5 | 2023-02-03 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Promos | PONE | 204s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daarken | |
| 6 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art Series | AONE | 78 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless | |||
| 7 | Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art Series | AONE | 48 | 2015 | Art series | Borderless |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Kaito, Dancing Shadow has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kaito, Dancing Shadow card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-02-04 | Even if Kaito's triggered ability triggers more than once in the same turn (perhaps because one or more attackers had first strike, multiple players were dealt combat damage by your creatures, or there were multiple combats), and you return an attacking creature to hand each time, you won't be able to activate Kaito's loyalty abilities more than twice that turn. That is, Kaito's triggered ability is not additive. |
| 2023-02-04 | If you return a creature to its owner's hand with Kaito's first ability, you may activate a single loyalty ability of Kaito twice, or you may activate two different loyalty abilities. |