Kyren Sniper MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Goblin
Released	1999-10-04
Set symbol
Set name	Mercadian Masques
Set code	MMQ
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	199
Frame	1997
Layout	normal
Border	black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Kyren Sniper disrupts opponents by targeting key creatures, slowing their momentum and maintaining card advantage.
Its instant speed activation offers flexibility, allowing optimal use during an opponent’s turn for maximum disruption.
While potent, Kyren Sniper requires careful hand management due to its mandatory discard cost for activation.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have Kyren Sniper deal 1 damage to target player.

Kyren goblins always act behind the scenes—even in battle.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Kyren Sniper provides consistent pressure on opponent’s key creatures, potentially disrupting their strategic plays and maintaining card advantage through indirect means.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, this card can slow down the opponent’s development by picking off smaller creatures, effectively setting their resource development back.

Instant Speed: Kyren Sniper’s ability can be activated at instant speed, offering flexibility in gameplay. You can wait until the most opportune moment during your opponent’s turn to utilize its effect, maximizing its disruptive potential.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Kyren Sniper in your deck brings a mandatory discard to the equation each turn to keep it active. This cost can deplete your hand quickly, reducing your ability to respond to changing battlefield conditions.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both green and red mana, Kyren Sniper’s mana cost can be restrictive. It obliges deck builders to run a multi-colored mana base, making it less flexible for mono-colored strategies or decks with a tight mana curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The activation cost of Kyren Sniper, particularly considering it only deals one damage to target creature or player, is substantial when compared to other options in the game. There are cards at similar or lower mana costs that offer greater impact or versatility in gameplay.

Reasons to Include Kyren Sniper in Your Collection

Versatility: Kyren Sniper isn’t limited to a mono-red deck. Thanks to its ability to ping creatures or players, it’s a strategic addition to combat-focused decks or decks that capitalize on dealing small amounts of damage over time.

Combo Potential: This card’s consistent damage output pairs well with cards that benefit from dealing non-combat damage. It can be used to gradually whittle down enemy forces, or in tandem with effects that trigger whenever damage is dealt.

Meta-Relevance: In a playing field where low toughness creatures are prevalent, Kyren Sniper can control the board and remove key components of your opponent’s strategy. It’s a low-cost way to maintain pressure and adaptability within various metagames.

How to beat

Kyren Sniper presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its ability to deal damage to creatures or players during each of your upkeeps. This adds a strategic layer for MTG players who must navigate around its consistent damage-dealing mechanics. Nonetheless, mastering the art of interception is crucial in surmounting the Kyren Sniper’s threat. Efficient removal spells such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can swiftly eliminate the Sniper before its effects accumulate. Alternatively, cards that grant you hexproof or shroud, like Leyline of Sanctity, can shield you from the targeted ability.

Moreover, utilizing creatures with higher toughness can mitigate the impact of Kyren Sniper’s ping ability, ultimately rendering it ineffective. Enchantment-based mitigations such as Circle of Protection: Red can also offer reprieve from its reach. It’s worth noting that Kyren Sniper thrives in controlling long games, so accelerating your own game plan can outpace and overwhelm the constraints the Sniper tries to impose. Planning a well-timed assault while keeping removal resources at the ready is essential to overthrow this sharpshooting threat.

When evaluating your deck’s defensive and offensive capabilities, accounting for persistent threats such as Kyren Sniper is vital for victory. With strategic preparations and adaptations, players can navigate around its intimidating aim and claim triumph in their duels.

Cards like Kyren Sniper

Kyren Sniper is an interesting utility creature within Magic: The Gathering that offers an incremental advantage over time. It stands shoulder to shoulder with cards like Prodigal Pyromancer, which also taps to deal one damage to any target. What sets Kyren Sniper apart is its goblin subtype, which allows for tribal synergies in goblin-themed decks, enhancing various strategies.

When examining Goblin Sharpshooter, we find a creature with a similar damage-dealing tap ability. However, the Sharpshooter has the potential for a greater impact in board states with significant creature deaths, resetting its tap status each time a creature dies. On the other hand, Kyren Sniper’s consistency does not depend on board conditions and can chip away at opponents or their creatures every turn without additional setup.

In summation, Kyren Sniper, while not as explosive as Goblin Sharpshooter, offers a reliable and repeatable source of damage. Its place in goblin decks and its cost-effectiveness make it a solid consideration for players aiming to apply continuous pressure on the battlefield.

Prodigal Pyromancer - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Cards similar to Kyren Sniper by color, type and mana cost

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - MTG Card versions

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - MTG Card versions

Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - MTG Card versions

Balduvian Barbarians - MTG Card versions

Shinen of Fury's Fire - MTG Card versions

Dwarven Warriors - Foreign Black Border (FBB)

Wall of Stone - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)

Imperial Recruiter - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)

Uthden Troll - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)

Hobgoblin Bandit Lord - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)

Goblin Rabblemaster - Magic Online Promos (PRM)

Mannichi, the Fevered Dream - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Cunning Bandit // Azamuki, Treachery Incarnate - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)

Ghost-Lit Raider - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)

Balduvian Barbarians - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Shinen of Fury's Fire - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Kyren Sniper MTG card by a specific set like Mercadian Masques, 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 Kyren Sniper and other MTG cards: