Kianne, Dean of Substance // Imbraham, Dean of Theory MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kianne, Dean of Substance excels at generating card advantage through her ability to create a 1/1 green and white Inkling creature token with the upside of exiling the top card of your library. If it’s a land, you can put it onto the battlefield, otherwise, you can study it – resulting in a great way to dig deeper into your library and ensure you’re drawing into valuable resources.

Resource Acceleration: Imbraham, Dean of Theory, Kianne’s other side, offers resource acceleration by allowing you to exile the top X cards of your library and put a study counter on each of them. Then, for each card exiled this way, you may play the card as long as it has a study counter on it, ensuring that you’ll almost never be short on options.

Instant Speed: While neither Kianne nor Imbraham directly operate at instant speed, they give you access to more resources which can be utilized during your turn to maximize your ability to play instant speed spells. This duo can quickly tip the scales in your favor, forcing your opponent to play on their back foot while you respond to their moves with a full grip of cards and an ever-present threat on the board.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Kianne, when flipped to Imbraham, requires an exile of a card from your graveyard to function properly. This may force players to part with valuable resources that could be essential in the later game stages or with recursive strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Both sides of this card demand a specific mana arrangement to cast—green for Kianne and blue for Imbraham. This can hinder players running multicolored decks or those with a limited mana base from utilizing the card to its full potential.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With Kianne and Imbraham each costing three mana to cast, they may arrive on the battlefield later than other utility creatures or card advantage engines, putting players at a tempo disadvantage especially in fast-paced games where early board presence is crucial.

Reasons to Include Kianne, Dean of Substance // Imbraham, Dean of Theory in Your Collection

Versatility: Kianne, Dean of Substance can generate value by creating 1/1 black and green Pest creature tokens with Exile abilities, fostering a diverse array of deck-building options. When transformed into Imbraham, Dean of Theory, it allows for library manipulation and card advantage, which is crucial for any deck aiming for consistency and power plays.

Combo Potential: The symbiosis between Kianne’s ability to generate token creatures and Imbraham’s penchant for sifting through the library can set the stage for numerous combos. With the right setup, this double-sided card can be a linchpin for synergistic plays that can swiftly pivot the game in your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where versatile cards that provide a consistent advantage are king, Kianne//Imbraham holds a firm place. It thrives against slower-paced or creature-based decks, making it a savvy addition in a shifting competitive landscape.

How to beat

Kianne, Dean of Substance alongside Imbraham, Dean of Theory, forms a unique dual-faced card in Magic: The Gathering that presents players with flexible strategies during gameplay. To effectively counter this multifaceted card, it’s crucial to understand its strengths and adapt your approach accordingly.

When dealing with Kianne, focusing on minimizing her ability to accumulate +1/+1 counters and create tokens is paramount. This can involve using instant speed removals like Murder or Fatal Push to dispatch her before she begins to overwhelm the battlefield. Alternatively, countering her activation with well-timed cards like Negate can also prevent the escalation of her board presence.

On the flip side, Imbraham offers a different challenge as a card advantage engine that digs through the library. Disrupting the deck manipulation is key here. Players should consider employing cards like Narset, Parter of Veils to limit the card draws or Ashiok, Dream Render to hinder the library search. Disabling any sort of card synergy before Imbraham can take advantage of it will prove to be an effective strategy.

In summary, a well-rounded deck with answers to both creature and noncreature threats, paired with keen timing on disruptive spells, can dismantle the value derived from Kianne and Imbraham, ensuring they don’t achieve their full potential on the field.