Kestia, the Cultivator MTG Card
2016-11-16 - Number 70699
2018-08-09 - Number 42
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Enchantment Creature — Nymph |
| Abilities | Bestow |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Bestow (If you cast this card for its bestow cost, it's an Aura spell with enchant creature. It becomes a creature again if it's not attached to a creature.) Enchanted creature gets +4/+4. Whenever an enchanted creature or enchantment creature you control attacks, draw a card.
Cards like Kestia, the Cultivator
Kestia the Cultivator offers a unique blend of enchantment synergy and card draw in MTG, reminiscent of other powerhouse cards. For instance, Eidolon of Blossoms also revolves around enchantment mechanics, drawing a card whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield. Kestia, however, doesn’t require the enchantment to be cast, hence, it rewards players even when enchantments are put onto the battlefield without being cast. Moreover, it has the added benefit of boosting a creature’s power.
Similarly, Argothian Enchantress provides enchantment-based card draw, but unlike Kestia, it doesn’t require you to attack a player to draw cards. Instead, it gives you card advantage simply when you cast an enchantment. Moreover, it ensures its own protection with shroud. Another comparable card, Tuvasa the Sunlit, gains power as you play more enchantments and also draws you a card each turn for the first enchantment you cast. While Tuvasa is a consistent draw engine, Kestia has the potential to draw multiple cards in a single combat phase.
Each of these cards brings a strategic depth to enchantment-heavy decks, and players often weigh their options based on the deck’s overall tempo and synergy. However, Kestia’s ability to potentially draw multiple cards while empowering creatures makes her an appealing choice for players looking to lead a full-on enchantment assault.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Kestia the Cultivator shines in her ability to consistently offer card advantage. Once she’s bestowed upon a creature or in combat herself, you’re rewarded with additional card draw each time that creature deals combat damage to a player. This steady flow of cards is key in outpacing your opponents and ensuring your hand remains full of options.
Resource Acceleration: In the world of enchantment strategies, resource acceleration often comes in the form of more permanents on the battlefield. Kestia supports this by incentivizing you to cast more enchantment spells, thus accelerating your board presence and potential influence on the game’s outcome. This, paired with her ability to draw you into more spells, can quickly lead to a dominant position.
Instant Speed: While Kestia herself doesn’t operate at instant speed, her Bestow mechanic allows for some sneaky instant-speed interaction. You can cast her as an Aura at the end of your opponent’s turn if you’ve kept mana open, catching an unprepared adversary off guard and setting up for an advantageous next turn.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Kestia the Cultivator comes with a requirement for green, white, and blue mana, making it necessary to have a well-rounded mana base or a deck focused on these colors. Integrating her into a deck that doesn’t primarily run these colors can be challenging and may reduce her overall utility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost and an enchantment-bestow cost that both demand four mana, including at least one of each aforementioned color, Kestia can be a hefty investment. This cost demands a substantial amount of resources which could potentially be used for multiple spells or creatures with lower mana requirements.
Discard Requirement: Although Kestia herself doesn’t require a discard, to fully utilize her card-draw ability you often have to commit additional creatures to the battlefield, which can leave you vulnerable if your opponent has a board wipe. Moreover, bestowing Kestia requires sacrificing another creature if you desire the added benefits, indirectly contributing to a discard-like setback, especially in a removal-heavy game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Kestia the Cultivator thrives in enchantment-heavy decks and can pivot between roles as a Commander or enchantment, adapting to both aggressive and more controlling playstyles with ease.
Combo Potential: This legendary enchantment creature can draw cards each time you attack with an enchanted or enchantment creature, fueling powerful synergies and enabling complex combinations.
Meta-Relevance: With the tendency towards creature-based strategies in many formats, Kestia provides a persistent advantage, keeping your hand full and pressuring opponents who may struggle with multiple threats.
How to beat
Kestia the Cultivator is an enchantment creature card that can greatly enhance an aura or equipment strategy in Magic: The Gathering. It offers card draw by dealing combat damage to a player while amplifying the power of enchanted or equipped creatures. Confronting this eminent threat requires a tactful approach.
Control decks have an edge here with various counter spells to prevent Kestia from hitting the field. Removal spells are equally effective; they can directly target Kestia or the auras attached to her, disrupting the synergy and card advantage she provides. Board wipes are also a robust answer, clearing all creatures and enchantments in one fell swoop. Artifact removal can be potent too, targeting equipment that might be boosting creatures alongside Kestia. Hand disruption and forcing opponents to sacrifice creatures can significantly deter Kestia strategies before they take root.
Ultimately, staying proactive with removal and board control is key to overcoming Kestia the Cultivator. Every turn she remains active represents a potential tilt in your opponent’s favor, making immediate responses crucial in any game plan against her.
BurnMana Recommendations
Dive deeper into the enchanting world of MTG with Kestia the Cultivator. Whether you’re enhancing your deck’s card-draw mechanics or increasing your battlefield leverage through enchantments, Kestia promises to be a game-changer. Her strategic flexibility caters to both new players seeking to bolster their decks and seasoned veterans aiming to refine their strategies. Beyond Kestia, explore other enchantment synergies and control tactics that can help you cultivate victory. Your journey towards becoming a master tactician starts here — join BurnMana to expand your knowledge, optimize your deck, and conquer your next match with confidence.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Kestia, the Cultivator MTG card by a specific set like Treasure Chest and Commander 2018, 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 Kestia, the Cultivator and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Kestia, the Cultivator Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-11-16 and 2018-08-09. Illustrated by Zezhou Chen.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 70699 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zezhou Chen | |
| 2 | 2018-08-09 | Commander 2018 | C18 | 42 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zezhou Chen |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Kestia, the Cultivator has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Kestia, the Cultivator card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-13 | A spell with bestow is either a creature spell or an Aura spell. It’s never both. Similarly, a permanent with bestow is either a creature or an Aura, but not both. |
| 2018-07-13 | Auras attached to a creature don’t become tapped when the creature becomes tapped. Except in some rare cases, an Aura with bestow remains untapped when it becomes unattached and becomes a creature. |
| 2018-07-13 | Bestow is an alternative cost to cast the spell with bestow. It can’t be combined with other alternative costs, such as casting a spell “without paying its mana cost.” |
| 2018-07-13 | If a permanent with bestow enters the battlefield by any method other than being cast, it will be an enchantment creature. You can’t choose to pay the bestow cost and have it become an Aura. |
| 2018-07-13 | If an enchanted enchantment creature attacks, you draw only one card for it. |
| 2018-07-13 | If multiple enchanted or enchantment creatures you control attack, you draw that many cards. |
| 2018-07-13 | The phrase “you control” applies to both “enchanted creature” and “enchantment creature.” That is, Kestia’s ability triggers when an enchanted creature you control attacks, not any player’s enchanted creature. |
| 2018-07-13 | To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a bestow cost) you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was. |
| 2018-07-13 | Unlike other Aura spells, an Aura spell with bestow still resolves if its target is illegal. Instead of entering the battlefield as an Aura, the effect making it an Aura spell ends, it loses enchant creature, and it resolves and enters the battlefield as an enchantment creature. |
| 2018-07-13 | Unlike other Auras, an Aura with bestow isn’t put into its owner’s graveyard if the enchanted creature leaves the battlefield or becomes an illegal creature for the Aura to enchant. Rather, the effect making it an Aura ends, it loses enchant creature, and it remains on the battlefield as an enchantment creature. It can attack (and its abilities can be activated, if it has any) on the turn it becomes unattached if it’s been under your control continuously, even as an Aura, since your most recent turn began. |